Kagami in the Rain 2: Desolation
by Razgriz89
Summary: A full year has passed. Romeo has returned to the land of the rising sun only to see a desolate landscape brought about by rivalry between the first Juliet and the new Juliet. Why does it feel different again when its Kagami in the rain? COMPLETED 3.19.08
1. Touchdown

_A full year has passed; still the season of precipitation looms across the skies. __Stormy winds blow dangling streamers and plants drenched in water. It felt like a decade or two has passed. After wa__iting for a long time, Romeo__ returned to the land of the rising sun…only to see a desolate landscape brought about by rivalry and war between the first Juliet and the new Juliet. _

_Surely, it feels different again when it's…_

**Kagami**** in the Rain 2: Desolation**

_The following events take place in her last year of high school still on the rainy season. _

_Episode 5: Prepare Yourself, __Kagami__! The Arrival of Your Rival is at Hand!_

_Chapter 21: __Touchdown_

Regardless of the torrential rains that made the tarmac as slippery as an eel, it didn't stop one of the busiest airports in the country: Narita International Airport from operating under these circumstances. Passenger and cargo planes take off and land every few minutes, although air traffic isn't as hectic as air traffic under fair weather. The wet tarmac wasn't an obstacle for the incoming planes from different points of the world. One of them is a white 747 with the letters JAL approaching the tarmac and landing its wheels on the surface of the runway. Its passengers walked out of the luxurious Jumbo Jet and inside the comforts of the air-conditioned airport, keeping a sharp eye on their respective luggage moving in the conveyer belts. While some required a cart to move a number of their bags, a few only had a bag or two to carry. One of these persons is Hajime Takashi.

"Romeo" returned to Japan after a year of training in business administration under the supervision of his aging father. He returned to the country as a college transferee in America to the doors of the University of Tokyo to pursue a degree in business administration. This time he's on his own; no direct help from his father or any of his relatives abroad. He signaled for a cab outside the building. But almost all of the cabs already had passengers. The situation was like this until he saw an empty cab parked not far from where he stood. He quickly boarded the taxi and told his destination to the driver…only to find out that the driver wasn't a complete stranger to him.

"It's been a while, Takashi." The driver removed his cap and showed his face through the center mirror. "Doing well?"

"S-Sano…!" Takashi responded surprisingly. "H-How did you break out of jail?"

"It's called 'community service', dumbass. Weird, isn't it? After a few months of this dead-end job, my freedom will be granted. It's a good thing nobody is hurt during the Sunday Crisis; otherwise my sentence could've been worse."

"What about your friends?"

"After they confessed to the authorities that they attempted to molest Kagami, they were sentenced to longer years behind bars. Life is very merciless to me."

"M-Molest…? You ordered them to assault her?"

"They completely acted on their own discretion, moron!"

"There's no need to get all testy. How should I know?"

"You've got to stop acting moronic if you're going to show yourself to her. So, where're you going?"

"Miyuki's house…at least until I find a place close to Tokyo U."

"I forgot…you're a college student now."

"Years seem to pass like hours nowadays. Is it because of technology?"

"Even I can't answer such a question. So calling you 'dumbass' right now doesn't seem fitting…"

"Call me by any name you wish…as long as I have a name for myself."

"(You're being too pragmatic.)"

Hajime Sano, Takashi's twin brother and former rival for Kagami's heart, was granted intense hours of community service as a cab driver with medium surveillance from the police after his friends confessed to the authorities that he stopped them from assaulting her during her captivity. Out of the court's generosity, they dropped his sentence from years behind bars to hours as a cab driver serving the community its needs of transportation. But most of the time, his cab remains empty because of the people's fear of him; although his days as an outlaw are now locked up in the archives.

While these people have changed for the betterment of their lives, some remained unchanged during the transition of time.

---0---0---0---0---0---

"It sure stinks, right?" Kagami said over the phone.

"But it's good now." Konata replied.

"So I was thinking of coming over before the semester starts. I heard your little cousin has the flu."

"She's very sickly, you know. So as a big sister, I have to be responsible."

"I wish you can say the same in doing your homework."

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Kagamin."

"Homework is not small stuff!"

"Speaking of sweat, shouldn't you be sweating because of—"

"I know, I know…just to let you know, I lost a few pounds a week ago."

"And let me guess, you're snacking again. You're so weak-willed."

"Well anyway, I'll see you the day before the start of the semester."

"Okay, goodbye."

As far as the conversation is concerned, they're still good friends. Konata is as joyful and not to mention indolent in studies as always; whereas Kagami is her polar opposite: serious and studious. Both of them coped up with the changing times and remained unscathed by the transition. Nevertheless, Kagami still remembers the Sunday Crisis more than anybody else in the country—considering that she is the main course in the meal plan. It still scares her and continues to haunt her to this very day.

"Onee-san, can you teach me this part?" Tsukasa approached her, showing a part of a feudal era haiku.

"I'm just about to start studying. Let's do it together." Kagami suggested.

"Okay."

Fully recovered from the trauma of the broken plate omen, Tsukasa resumes her life as a third year student and a devoted twin sister to her family in terms of household chores—a thing in which her other twin sister is not very good at. The Sunday Crisis affected all members of the family and not to mention those close to the victim. A full year of forgetting helped her a lot. She's back to her normal self, ready to pursue her last year in high school.

Meanwhile, Souijiro and Kuroi-sensei grew even closer after a full year of hardship in their relationship. It was two for the price of one: a need to remarry and a need for a man in someone's life solved respectively. Konata, after a full year of doubt clouding her reasoning, finally chose to accept her homeroom and world history teacher as her new mother. That meant regulated hours in front of the gaming world and supervised studies, considering her report cards to be a slum. The late Izumi Kanata watched from the sidelines as a new family is formed. Instead of anger because of her being replaced, she felt somewhat happy. For whatever her husband is happy at, she'll support him all the way.

---0---0---0---0---0---

Sano's cab pulled over in front of the Takara residence. Takashi had to pull out his umbrella because it was raining heavier than the time he arrived at the airport lobby. Before he could even go outside, Sano stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait, I have one more thing to say to you."

"What is it?" Takashi inquired.

"Don't tell anybody about me or about what we've talked about. Not even Miyuki…"

"Why…?"

"Just do it, dumbass! If you know what's good for you…"

"Okay, you have my word."

"You'd better have it."

He pulled his bags out of the cab trunk and slammed it down. The taxi left hurryingly to the main road as soon as he got inside the front yard. A knock on the door had to be answered somehow. The events after that are pretty much common and obvious.

Back in the airport, another white 747 with the same JAL letters was about to make a touchdown in the tarmac. Its passengers went down through the mobile stairs and made tracks inside the airport building where they waited for their respective luggage moving on top of the conveyer belts. A brown-haired girl grabbed a big black trolley bag and made haste to catch a taxi. Unfortunately, even at a season as wet as water, the airports remained as busy as always. There was almost no taxi in line to pick her up. Then a black limousine drove through the road and stopped in front of her. The driver went out of the car and introduced himself.

"I've been expecting you, Yakumo-dono." The driver respectfully bowed down. "Come, they are expecting your arrival."

"Thank you." The brown-haired girl said. "I hope this doesn't bother you…driving all the way here."

"Right this way, madam."

The driver opened the rear-end door for her as she put her heavy trolley bag inside the trunk. Upon boarding, the limousine left the airport for wherever her home was. Inside the car, her cell phone rang and she quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Yakumo…"

"Oh, Sano..! Long time no see! How are you doing?"

"I'm stuck at being a cabby to work for my freedom points."

"That's what you get for being a hardhead."

"So when did you arrive? Do you need me to pick you up?"

"No, thanks; I got a luxurious ride for free."

"Seriously, you've got to stop making that a habit of yours."

"It's only for a couple of months."

Fifteen minutes after her arrival in the country, Takashi felt a chilly sensation; as if a spirit went past him. It was weird because he was in front of the fireplace warming up and still had his sweater on. He'll soon come to the realization that the reason is not the cold weather.

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	2. Spearhead

_Chapter 22: __Spearhead _

It was her last year in high school. In a few months she would be leaving her Alma Mater to seek a higher institution. She didn't want to leave the high school life but the river of life had to go on flowing for eternity. She made a lot of memories here in the very grounds of the campus—the place where she jumped too far and had her face planted deep beneath the sand, the place where she secretly gave chocolate to a guy (although it was nothing more but fantasy), the stage where she and her friends danced…in a matter of months, all of these would be nothing more but memories—chronicles for other people to hear.

But things won't end that way as easy as that.

_"Last night, a man armed with a revolver pistol stormed the warehouse full of anime novelty products and stole thousands of yen worth it. Although no security guards were killed during the incident, police are having a hard time tracing his tracks because he left almost no evidence except for the gunshots in parts of the warehouse…"_

"I can't believe it…another one like Konata…" Kagami said; drinking her usual mug of hot cocoa in a rainy school morning. "Worse, he's got a gun."

"Onee-san, I'm sure Kona-chan wouldn't resort to something like that." Tsukasa replied.

"I'm not thinking of such things. But who else would steal those kinds of stuff but someone like Konata?"

"You're right."

"Come on, we're going to be late for school."

To someone as pragmatic as Kagami, a rainy school day is like any other school day of the school year. The difference was the weather which was very obvious. Normal life resumes…that's all there is to it—no abnormalities, no supernatural phenomenon, no disasters; just a regular school day in her last year of high school before pursuing their goals. Without any idea of her lover's return, she felt incomplete that day—as if she had forgotten something.

When she checked her bag a few hours after the first period, she did forget something: her math textbook. It was time for borrowing from her friends in the next class.

"Konata, may I borrow your math textbook for now?"

"That's very unusual of you. Luckily, I'm in a good mood today so I'll let you borrow it."

"No scribbles this time, okay? You know the last time I borrowed a book from you."

"Rest assured, Kagamin, that book is as clean as your face."

"(Clean…? Face…? I don't feel like commending her for such an overstatement.) By the way, why are you in a good mood today?"

"Yesterday at work, my friends at work and I got a raise!"

"A raise…? You and your friends must've put up a good show."

"Yesterday's stage play increased sales so we got a raise. Add that to the overtime pay and do the math."

"Really…? That's very untypical of you."

"Kagami doesn't even bat an eye. Of course I work hard sometimes. It's just the place I work hard for turns me on all the time."

"I wish your love for doing homework is like that."

When the bell rang at noon, there were only three of them enjoying lunch. No wonder Kagami felt incomplete; Miyuki was nowhere to be seen.

"She called me last night and said to me she got the cold." Konata explained.

"It's not like her to be as sickly as your cousin, Konata." Kagami said.

"It's a coincidence, Kagamin. Viruses are not picky on their targets."

"Shall we visit her later after school?"

"That's a good idea. Let's do that."

"Oh, it's not like you to be excited about visiting Miyuki's house, considering that we've already been there once."

"Really…? I was hoping for her to let me copy her homework."

"You know what, just shut up."

As the day grew to a close, they took a train bound for the metropolis. Even at the rainy weather, it was packed with commuters mostly heading home. It took a while before they arrived at her house because of the thousands of commuters pushing outward. A full year had passed and the number of commuters in the urbanities doubled. They went straight for Miyuki's room as if time wasn't on their side.

"Izumi-san, Kagami-san, and Tsukasa-san; thank you for visiting." Miyuki said on bed. "I'm sorry to bother your schedule with my illness."

"That's what a visit is supposed to be." Kagami responded.

"Miyuki-san, we've known each other for a long time." Konata started in a persuasive tone. "We've been through different ups and downs of our lives and we struck down all opposition. I would like to ask you one favor."

"K-Konata, you're not serious are you?!" Kagami said.

"I assure you'll feel good after this. Give it a shot." Konata said to her.

"Is something the matter, Izumi-san?" Miyuki curiously inquired.

"Don't mind her, Miyuki. She's just going overboard." Kagami intervened.

---0---0---0---0---0---

With the good news that Miyuki was on her way to a full recovery, her friends spent time at her side talking about random stuff. If possible they could stay for the night not only because she needed company to hasten her recovery but the rain had gotten stronger since they arrived; and it would be bothersome to try going home under such circumstances. The last thing in their minds was experiencing Kagami's electrifying ordeal when a bolt of lightning surged through her and almost paid the price of a loss of life.

"You be careful out there, dear." The voice of the twins' mother echoed through the head of the handset.

"We will, mother." Kagami answered.

"If you can't get home, you can stay for the night."

"Thank you very much."

She slowly placed the headset back and returned to her friends in the room.

"Tsukasa, mom said we can stay for the night if we can't get home." She told her little sister (practically speaking, neither is older nor younger between the two).

"Well too bad I can't join you guys." Konata apologized. "No one's going to look after my little cousin. My dad's going to come home late from a party."

"What about your older cousin?"

"Sobbing back home because her husband can't come home for their anniversary…"

"Ouch (Your family can be harsh sometimes)."

A different kind of rain, much different from the rain last year, poured down on the metropolis. It drenched everything below the clouds in water: streets, trees, buildings, umbrellas, windows etc. It was accompanied by a ferocious roar of thunder after a strike made by bolts of lightning. Kagami's decision to stay over for the night was a wise move. Amidst the storm, anybody can be as good as dead unless protected in some way. Her friends quickly got to studying while updating Miyuki of the things she missed today at class. As usual, Konata sought help from the two smartest pupils of her time every five minutes. Tsukasa never sought help especially from her big sister because she seemed to pass out on a problem she couldn't handle alone. Nevertheless, they were happy third year school girls and anybody would die just to see them smile.

A taxi pulled over in front of the house: it was Sano's cab. Takashi came out of the passenger seat with a bag of groceries.

"When I'm out of jail, you owe me taxi fare." He said.

"Sano, do you recall any instance where I didn't pay my debt to you?" Takashi replied.

"It's called 'making sure', dumbass!"

"Again with the D word…"

"Hurry up with your groceries. I need to be back at the garage by nightfall or they'll cut my pay."

"Okay, okay, don't be so pushy."

The cab left the house when Takashi returned home with some groceries, including ingredients for chicken soup for the nosy common cold. He proceeded to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for the soup. As a family member, he felt responsible for the welfare of a fellow member of the family. Wearing a pink apron with a picture of Hello Kitty at the center, he took charge of dinner tonight. He didn't expect that he had guests tonight.

Meanwhile…

"I'm thirsty." Kagami said. "I think I'll help myself to a glass of water."

"Let me get it for you." Miyuki replied.

"No, you need to rest. Don't worry; I know my way around the house."

"I just want to let you know that the dispenser is broken. The water is inside the fridge."

"Okay, thanks for the tip."

Kagami left the room for a while and made tracks to the kitchen alone. She grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and poured some over a tall glass. All that talking about random stuff made her throat very dry. After cooling off, she returned the bottle back in the fridge and walked back towards the room. But the feeling of incompleteness still remained inside of her. Aside from forgetting her math textbook and being unable to meet one of her friends for a day at school, she wondered if the source of her incompleteness was the curiosity of the surroundings; frankly speaking—a self-tour of Miyuki's home while the chance was still existing. But she didn't need a tour to satisfy her incompleteness. There may be other reasons for such a condition. She returned to her friends and joined a new conversation.

Half-an-hour later, the chicken soup was done. For the chef, he felt like praising himself for creating a dish that would aid Miyuki on the road to recovery. He put some in a bowl on top of the tray along with a spoon and a napkin. Through the use of a dish cart, he went to her room and heard a lively conversation from behind the door.

"Hmm…I didn't expect company. Maybe I'll create dinner for them too. After all, it's rare for her to have enemies." He humored himself.

He knocked on the door and turned the door knob to open.

"Miyuki, have some of this. It'll make you feel—"

Takashi stopped talking when all eyes were on him. All eyes meant Kagami…

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	3. Upsurge

_Chapter 23: Upsurge _

Hajime [Takashi was about to serve the soup that would help in the fight against the common cold. But when he entered the door where he was welcomed by a sea of stares, the seasonal chill just got colder. All eyes were on him and his eyes were all on them. But he focused more on the purple-haired girl with two pigtails, crystal eyes, and a highlight of redness just below her eyes. He too also had the same reaction. The atmosphere got very cold and everything around them froze in time. The cheerful party talk immediately turned into a solemn pool of silence. Hajime's words were also turned into silence when he saw all of them, especially the most important person of her love life. Both the girl and the boy felt an upsurge of their heartbeat upon seeing each other—an upsurge that was so great, they felt like exploding in front of each other. It wasn't right for them to give each other the cold shoulder but they didn't feel like rejoicing after a year had passed.

A full year of change…a full year of transition…but it seemed the transition took no effect or change in them. They were the same Hajime Takashi and Hiiragi Kagami: two persons who survived against everything cruel fate could throw at them just to break them up. The fact that they never anticipated each other to meet at an inconspicuous place such as the Takara residence was, in fact, downright bizarre.

"(Come on, Takashi! Say something to her! Don't keep those lips of yours sealed)." His thoughts said.

"(Get a grip, girl. You can do this. Say something normal)." Her thoughts replied.

Just when both of them were about to blow up, Konata smirked and giggled at Hajime—mainly his cute pink apron.

"Nice apron, dude." Konata commented before letting out a humorous uproar that shook everyone's frozen state.

"Shoot!" He yelled, taking off the apron and throwing it aside.

"I forgot to tell you guys that he returned just a few days ago." Miyuki explained. "He's going to take up business administration at Tokyo U."

Intimidated by the stares, he hurriedly left the room gasping and left the cart with his homemade remedy for the common cold. Without any sign of hesitation, Kagami followed him outside. She stopped him from making tracks outside the front door.

"Wait!"

Hajime gladly stopped as directed.

"You didn't tell me that you were coming back today." Kagami said to him.

"I thought I'd surprise you." He explained. "Then this happened to Miyuki."

"I hate surprises you know."

"Really…? You'll have to get used to it because it's in my blood."

Regardless of his reason, in the long run she hugged him. The others caught both of them in the act by peeking from the small opening of the door.

"I was beginning to think that you were never coming back." Kagami eventually cried with tears of joy running down the side of her face.

"I don't break promises, Kagami-san. I fulfill them no matter what." Hajime answered.

"You idiot, you should've notified me!"

"I have no idea that you hate surprises. It won't happen again."

"You promise that?"

"With my life, Kagami-san…"

The rain continued to pour down. Flashes of lightning accompanied by booming thunder struck occasionally. But they cared less about the wrath of nature for as long as boy and girl were inseparable. A full year has passed; nothing has changed between them. They were still Hajime Takashi and Hiiragi Kagami—two birds who met on the same branch and eventually paired up by destiny.

---0---0---0---0---0---

The next day at school, the Haikei duet (Ayano and Misao, based on the name of their image album) noticed a drastic mood change in their classmate Kagami. Of course, they didn't want her to enter school with a long face. But entering the classroom wearing a dazzling smile and a sunny disposition on a rainy school day was a bit bizarre. They hurriedly approached her as Misao teased her as part of the routine of life.

"Hey, the scary monster's smiling for a change." She said bluntly.

"Good morning Kusakabe, Minegishi. What a wonderful day this is." Kagami answered along with a dazzling smile that was even more blinding than staring directly at the sun unprotected.

"(That's the most bizarre overstatement I've ever heard!) Did something happen, Hiiragi?"

"You bet! He has returned after a year. I'm overjoyed."

"Who's he?"

"Oh my, I'm embarrassing myself. Stupid me…"

"(I am not drinking cola for breakfast ever again.)"

Her perkiness didn't stop during lunchtime where she joined up with her little sister and her friends in the other class. She still wore the same dazzling smile and sunny disposition from earlier. Konata shivered from the combined force of the cold temperature and the fact that one of her friends wasn't what she used to be.

"It feels like I'm in another dimension." Konata said. "Whatever happened to the 'pragmatic' Kagami?"

"I also freaked out when I first saw her like this during breakfast." Tsukasa replied. "And to think it happened right after we left Yuki-chan's house."

"It must have something to do with Miyuki-san's cousin. He's quite the fellow."

"Why, Kona-chan…? Don't you like her better this way?"

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just awfully creepy."

"Come to think of it…it's not like her."

All attention now was focused on Miyuki, who recently recovered after a bowl of chicken soup and some rest. She may have some answers, considering that she and Hajime were blood-related.

"Well…it has been a year since they first met; and since he left and returned a year later, she must've missed him so…" She explained in detail.

"This calls for an interrogation." Konata said. "He has to answer some of our questions before he flirts around with Kagami."

"Izumi-san, please don't think of my cousin as a bad person."

"Under such circumstances, we have to do this. It's for the sake of both. We don't want the Sunday Crisis to happen again, do we?"

"I suppose so…"

"Then it's decided. We'll kidnap him during the day and torture him in a closed room until he fesses up."

"I-Izumi-san…!"

"Just kidding…!"

They've heard a great deal about Kagami's new and soon-to-be boyfriend. But they didn't actually meet him in person until now. Konata started suspecting him, even if he was her friend's cousin. She has the events of the Sunday Crisis as the moving force for this top secret operation. Of course, they weren't going to tie him upside-down and lower him in a barrel of boiling oil or something just to force him to spill the goods. They all wanted to make sure that he was trustworthy and really worthy of their friend's heart. This time, they aren't going to take any chances; considering that they have learned their mistakes the hard way.

Kagami's upsurge of emotions continued until the end of the day where all four of them went home. Konata decided to keep the said interrogation a secret to Kagami so her plans wouldn't be foiled. It will all depend on her serious questions and his sincere answers.

"Before I forget, I need to ask you about a certain thing." Kagami said to Konata.

"As long as it's not seeking advice from a game guru like yours truly…" Konata replied.

"Have you ever thought about getting a boyfriend?"

Konata was in utter shock. It was an unexpected question from someone who recently got one.

"W-W-What are you talking about?" She said, trembling.

"I understand if you're not yet ready for such a question. I was just wondering." Kagami calmly responded.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling fine. You're the one who seems to be not."

"After seeing you all perky today and ask a question about having a boyfriend, I'm very confused."

All the more Konata wanted to push through with the interrogation. It's sink or swim.

---0---0---0---0---0---

The next rainy day at school, her upsurge was gone. She was back to her old normal self. Although many would prefer the happy-go-lucky version of her, they admit that it was very unlikely of her. Her homeroom teacher entered the classroom as the students went back to their seats in an orderly fashion.

"Okay class, we have a new transfer student in our class." The teacher told his pupils. "Make sure she feels at home here." Looking at the door, the teacher called: "You can come in now."

The new student slid the door open and walked to the platform as the students helplessly observed every aspect of her: the looks, the movement, the formality. Her flowing brown hair, red phoenix eyes, and elegant posture have immediately made her the center of attention for the first few minutes.

"Good day, everyone. My name is Yamamoto Yakumo. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

The teacher filled in on some details, writing the new student's kanji name on the blackboard. "She recently arrived in Japan a few days ago to finish her high school here. Since she has been in America for quite a while, try to communicate in English; although she could understand Japanese well. Let me see…there's a vacant seat right next to Hiiragi. Why don't you sit there?"

"Thank you, sensei." The new student politely answered and walked up to her seat right next to Kagami.

As class representative, Kagami formally introduced herself. "Welcome to Japan, Yakumo-san. I'm Hiiragi Kagami, the class representative."

"It's an honor to meet you, Hiiragi-san. I think we're going to become good—no, great friends."

"I sure hope so. If you have questions, just ask anyone in the classroom. I'll be happy to tour you around school during lunchtime."

"Much appreciated, Hiiragi-san…"

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	4. Apparition

_Chapter 24__A: __Apparition_

Kagami's teacher for the second period was absent because of a cold after inquiring in the faculty office a few minutes after her first period teacher left. The empty slot was used in getting to know more about the new student. As a class representative, it was her responsibility to prepare the new student for high school life in Japan, which varies greatly than that of America. In fact, it wasn't just her. Everyone in the class had a specific role in showing the new transferee how they do things here. Her classmates who haven't gone to the most powerful country in the world are quite jealous of her but no grudges are held whatsoever. They desired to know what America looked like to the transferee's point of view.

Her reply: "Big buildings, millions of people, supersized meals, bullies in schools, hi-tech stuff…once you see these things everyday; it can get very boring there."

"Do they have those supersized burgers and drinks they show on TV?" Almost every classmate of hers asked questions every time she had an answer.

"It's your breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in one, unless you haven't eaten anything for an entire day."

"Have you gone to Disneyland?"

"I live in Anaheim so I'm pretty close there. I see it everyday when I go to school. Think of it as your fantasy in the real world."

"Any cute guys I can hang out with?"

"Uh…next question…"

Kagami excused herself from the group talk because nature was calling. Just as soon as she was a step away from the exit, she saw a blonde-haired first year looking at her by the door. Of course, as a senior, the freshmen were going to need all the help they could get.

"Yes?" She asked her. But a blink of the eyes later, she disappeared as if Kagami was talking to nobody. The corridors were a little packed with people but she couldn't distinguish a blonde-haired freshman among them since the corridor on her current floor was the seniors' turf. She began to think if her recent lack of sleep was the main reason for her hallucination.

It was lunchtime: almost everybody's favorite time of school hours. While students hurry to the cafeteria to save the time wasted on waiting along a long queue, others bring out their box lunches. While they grouped themselves particularly in four, Yakumo was the only one without a group. Kagami insisted on joining her group, consisted of her, Ayano, and Misao; in which she gladly joined. In just a short time, the class representative became good friends with the transfer student; talking about random stuff such as life in the country.

For a new student, she was very brilliant. Normally, new students who came too late would have more catching up to do. But she didn't need to catch up since she answered a couple of questions that couldn't be answered by the topnotch students of the class. Kagami sensed no competition because education didn't exist solely to know who was more superior.

"You toppled those hard questions like dominoes. You're amazing." She praised the new student.

"Well, I do a lot of studying. But as a class representative, you must also be brilliant." The new student replied.

"I feel like I have to be ahead of my younger sister (this feels like de ja vu). Do you have any siblings?"

"I'm the only child…although I prefer to have a younger sibling to look after."

"I know! I have some friends over at the other class. Maybe I can introduce them to you tomorrow since they've gone home already and I'm stuck at this student council meeting."

"That sounds great. I'll be looking forward to it tomorrow then."

---0---0---0---0---0---

Inside the board room, she and other class representatives of various levels and sections listened to the student council president discussing something with them. During the meeting, she saw an eerie sight: the blonde-haired girl appeared to her again looking from the door. She was the only one who saw the little girl looking at her. But after a blink, she disappeared again. She stared at the empty hallway before being called by the council president.

"Hiiragi-san…?"

"Huh? What?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing; I'm sorry to bother you."

"Okay then, let's get back to business."

She took one more glance at the empty hallway, particularly where the girl was a while ago, before turning her attention on the meeting.

Kagami took a whip of fresh air as she left the school grounds alone. The rain had stopped for now. The clouds responsible for the downpour still remained above the town. The only thing that she kept on thinking was the girl who kept appearing to her since morning. Also, the fact that nobody else saw the little girl bothered her extremely. Could it be that she was seeing an entity not from this world? Or was it plain coincidence that nobody saw her?

The answer occurred to her when she saw the blonde-haired girl standing above the most inconspicuous place and not to mention the most dangerous place for a first year to be: the top of a roof. There were no objections when the roof was flat. But the girl stood between two sloping sides of the roof.

"Hey!" Kagami yelled a few yards away. "Get off the roof! You're going to hurt yourself!"

The girl made no such reply. She stared at the cloudy horizon as if she was waiting for the rain to come down again.

"Hey, are you even listening?!"

Still came no reply. She continued to stare at the cloudy horizon, standing on top of the roof apex. A few minutes later, the first drops of rain fell on the wet pavement. Kagami opened her umbrella and held it above her head. Then, the girl disappeared again without a trace. The disappearing act left her a bit shaken and disoriented.

"W-Who is that girl?"

There was a break in the bad weather the next day. For a change of pace, the sun shone and warmth enveloped the morning breeze. The rain clouds broke ranks and allowed the sun to shine on every wet plant, house, road, window, and object below it. The twins woke up early than the usual and got ready for school. Although she slept early this time, Tsukasa still felt sleepy; her eyes being pressed down by gravity. She was practically not an early bird in several occasions such as this one.

"Try eating an apple." Inori advised her.

"Apple…?"

"I've heard that it could wake you up better than regular coffee."

"Really…? It's worth a shot."

On their way to school, they met up with Konata in front of the Kasukabe West Station. From there, it was a bus ride away to school.

"You should've gone to Miyuki's house yesterday, Kagami. We had a blast!" Konata said.

"What did you do?" Kagami asked.

"We tortured your boyfriend."

"Say what?!"

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"I'll let you know one simple detail, mister." __Konata__ spoke with a grievous tone, walking in circles around Hajime tied down to a chair on a concealed room and nothing but a lamp on top of him. "The __Sunday Crisis did much damage not only to my friend's reputation but also ours. If history repeats itself, then it's going to make us look extremely bad." _

_"There was no stopping the inevitable. How should I know that was going to happen? I'm no fortune teller." He replied fatuously._

_"Don't give me that tone!__ I have ways of persuading __Kagami__. So I'll let you in a little proposition. Make sure nothing, I mean NOTHING, gets in the way of your relationship with her.__"_

_"And exactly how am I going to do that?"_

_"Simple: make her as happy as you can. Avoid any unnecessary dawdling. If you harm her again like what you did last time, the consequences would be fatal."_

_"Like you got the entire place wired with C4 charges or something."_

_"Bombs…? No, I got something much more sinister up my sleeve; ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…"_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"Just joking, Kagamin…" Konata replied. This time it was the truth.

"You're completely crazy, Konata." Kagami said. "What did you say to him?"

"I told him to avoid the inevitable or else…"

"Or else…?"

"I'll roast him alive and eat his innards for dinner!"

"Konata!"

"Just joking, Kagamin…"

"Seriously, what did you say to him?"

"I told him to avoid the inevitable, that's it."

"You're too broad. Be more specific."

"Think of it as a countermeasure so you won't get kidnapped again."

"You're taking this way too seriously. That's all in the past."

"Even the past can be reincarnated for the future, Kagamin. Dead people are one such example."

"You mean that the dead can come back to life?"

"Silly, no; I'm talking about ghosts."

The word "ghosts" spooked her for a second. More importantly, she was startled by the word and reminded her of the little girl who kept appearing and disappearing yesterday. In the long run, Kagami was frozen solid…in the sense that she didn't flinch an inch. A black cat crossed the street but at a bad time. The bus was going so fast, it was going to run the cat over. The driver stepped hard on the breaks which created panic among the passengers because the bus wobbled like a loose support beam. Everyone held on tight on the handle bars in front of them. When the bus came to a full stop and the black cat safely crossed the busy highway, everybody calmed down.

"Whew, that was a close call." Konata said, turning to Kagami again. "Are you okay, Ka—"

She saw no Kagami behind her. It took her a little bit of looking around before she saw her twin-pigtailed friend lying unconscious on the bus floor with a red forehead.

"O-Onee-san…!" Tsukasa yelled.

"Damn whiplash…" Konata whispered to herself.

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	5. Encounter

_Chapter 24B: Encounter_

When Kagami regained consciousness, likely after four to five hours of being out cold, she found herself at the school infirmary lying down on a soft, clean bed by the window where the sun shone like it was spring. She was all alone in the room; no other patients and the school nurse out for lunch. She remembered hearing the word "ghost" and suddenly all went black. The damage wasn't serious since the handle bars on the bus were padded. Luckily, she ended up with only a red forehead, regardless of the force of the whiplash that was enough to make a crack in somebody's skull.

It's official; she's getting more and more paranoid by the second…even at the sound of the sliding door being opened by somebody.

The nurse had returned from her lunch break. She checked up on her only patient in the infirmary.

"Feeling better…?"

"A little dizzy but I'm cool."

"The bus driver brought you here after you passed out. That was one nasty whiplash."

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"O-__Onee__-san…!" Tsukasa yelled. _

_"Damn whiplash…" __Konata__ whispered to herself. _

_"She's passed out but it's nothing serious." A doctor aboard the bus said after examining __Kagami__. "The school infirmary should be fine since it's the nearest."_

_"Thank goodness."_

_"Destiny is so unforgiving."_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"Can you still attend the afternoon classes? I explained the situation to your morning proctors."

"Yes, I can; since tests are coming up soon."

"Then you better get to class."

Kagami eventually excused herself from the nurse's office and proceeded back to her classroom. All that deep thinking back on the bus almost cost her a week's stay in the hospital rather than four hours in the school infirmary. If the handle bars weren't padded, it could've been a worst-case scenario. It just happened that the brakes were so powerful; it generated enough force to fling her head to the bars. Alas, she shared the responsibility for being "so alert" during the accident.

Heading home, she thought of the blonde-haired freshman who kept appearing to her like some apparition. Kagami thought she was being stalked by a higher power, considering that Hajime said to him before his departure that he was engaged to another girl in which she gave her blessings as if she was giving up on him that easily. Stop after stop, the train moved along the tracks until it stopped at her station. But because of her deep thinking, the train left the stop where she was supposed to get off. Two stops later, she came to her senses and realized that she had missed her stop. Kagami had to wait for the train to make a U-turn before going home on foot.

One thing is for sure: she's gradually becoming like Miyuki…who tends to space out a lot.

When she got out of the train and eventually on the road home, the sun was about to set; marking the end of the break in the weather. Probably tomorrow onwards the rain will come back and drench everything in water again. The wind picked up and it along came the cold feeling. She was bound to see the mysterious girl anytime, standing on the roof and staring at the last moments of the sun.

Speaking of which, it really happened.

"The sunset is very beautiful, isn't it?" The girl shouted, observing the sunset from the same location as before: the rooftop.

"Hey, what are you doing standing there on the rooftop?" Kagami warned her.

"I'm looking at the sunset, silly."

"That's dangerous! Come down this instant!"

"You're being too panicky. Try to stop for a while and smell the roses."

"W-Who are you?"

"Me…? I'm just a random school girl passing by."

"On the rooftop…?"

"I have special needs."

It wasn't the fact that the girl was standing several feet above concrete that had her worried. Moreover, it was the fact that she kept appearing to Kagami for two straight days now. In the end, the girl came down safely from the rooftop to confront the only one who saw and could see her.

"This is not the first time we have met." Kagami said. "You're practically following me wherever I go for the past two days."

"Maybe because we have a lot in common like our hairstyle…" The girl replied.

"Don't be absurd. I don't even have a unique hairstyle. So why do you keep appearing before me? Are you some kind of ghost?"

"Like I said before, I'm just a random school girl passing by."

"You can't possibly survive a fall on top of a two-storey house."

"I'm a gymnast. I know how to keep my balance. Besides, it's good training."

"Seriously, I'm not going to talk anymore. At least present yourself if you need something from me; and not being all stealthy."

"Sorry…I just like playing hide-and-seek."

The two girls walked to the nearby park for an appropriate talk. A road near an alley full of garbage bins wasn't even close to appropriate.

"Are you new at Ryouou?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah, since my parents' business is near here." The girl answered sincerely. "Most of the time, I'm all alone in the house so I spend some time standing on a random rooftop."

"Even if you're a gymnast, standing on a sloping rooftop is utterly dangerous. Promise me you won't do it again."

"Um…hard to say…"

"Never mind; just don't come running to me when you're suffering from an internal hemorrhage."

"What's an internal hemorrhage?"

"Are you sure you're not toying with me? It's like your head bleeding inside."

"I'm still a first year. Those things are still out of my league."

Both of them hadn't realized until recently that it was already nightfall. The sun had already set to the west and stars started appearing in bunches across the dark sky. Considering her homework load for tonight, Kagami needed to get home early.

"Oh shoot, I need to go now. Remember; if you need something just approach me. Stalking is a bad thing."

"I'll keep that in mind." The girl said sincerely.

Before she could even leave the park, Kagami turned around to the girl and introduced herself…not only as part of common courtesy but also a reminder of who the girl was talking to.

"I'm Hiiragi Kagami, third year. What's your name?"

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you, s-senpai! First year, Eri Hidaka…!"

"Nice to meet you too, Eri-san…"

---0---0---0---0---0---

That night, when the park was devoid of people (not to mention kids), a shadow came out of hiding in the wall and stood at the center of the park where a fountain stood. The mechanism had been shut off since nobody would be going to the park at this time of night. The swings swayed a little because of the wind, along with the trees and their leaves. He stood alone with lamplights all around him; looking at the only entry point of the park grounds. He was expecting company out in the cold night. From out of the blue, another shadow entered the only point of entry of the park grounds and stopped at a considerable distance from the former. The remaining unlit lamplights were opened, shedding light on the two black figures that stood at the center of the park.

"So the stories were true." Hajime said, looking at his guest. "You did come to Japan to look for me didn't you, Yakumo?"

"Do you realize what are you trying to do, Hajime-kun?" Yakumo responded grievously. "You're going to endanger our two families."

"What could be dangerous about studying in Japan for a couple of years?"

"Don't toy with me! You used that same excuse when you rejected your last arranged marriage! It's not going to happen this time."

"This is not about us, Yakumo! You'd better stop giving me that attitude."

"I told you already, it's your obligation as the successor to the Hajime Group. When will you stop being stubborn?"

"If you're so worked up about it, why are you stopping my rights to education?"

"That's not the reason why you are here. I can tell."

"Look, this isn't the time or the place to talk about business. Go home, Yakumo."

"I've cared for you for a full year. Don't let my effort go to waste."

"I said go home. I don't want anymore of this nonsense."

"This isn't over, Hajime-kun; not by a long shot."

Yakumo exited from the scene, taking big steps to her ride waiting just around the corner. A few minutes later, Hajime also left the park wearing a weary face—exhaustion prevalent.

The night grew younger and younger as soon as it was lights out. By the time Hajime returned at Miyuki's house, she was sleeping already. It was already midnight and he needed to get some shuteye too. A glass of water later, he went straight to bed without a change of clothes or at least proper hygiene before rest. He let go of his mind, especially the set of events that took place a few minutes ago with Yakumo.

Do Hajime and Yakumo know each other? And what did she mean by the last arranged marriage? Will the power of obligation prevail over the power of love?

Prepare yourself, Kagami! Your rival has now arrived.

_END OF EPISODE 5_

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	6. Special Chapter 1

_Special Chapter__ 1_

_"__Kagami__ in the Rain__"__ Post-Christmas Special Presentation_

**Author's Note: **Christmas may be over, but not for me. Everyday is Christmas. This chapter was originally set for release during the Christmas season in the first part of the story. But I got so excited with releasing the second one at exactly January 1st at midnight, I forgot to do this.

Months have passed; there was still no development in the relationship of Hajime and Kagami. Both of them were making sure that history doesn't repeat itself. The Sunday Crisis, although a full year has passed since that event, still intimidated their being. Nevertheless, Hajime wanted to prepare a surprise for her for no occasion at all. It was compensation for what was lost during the Sunday Crisis. He had to think of other places to take her to other than Tokyo Tower and Asakusa. Kagami couldn't find an opportunity to say what she had decided that was originally to be said right in front of him at the view deck of Tokyo Tower. Her life-changing choice was rudely interrupted by a kidnapping situation—modus operandi of Hajime's twin brother, Sano, who was now working for his freedom as a cab driver.

This is what Kagami had waited for—a shed of romance. This is what she always wanted: someone to admire her personality and interests. Even with friends like Konata, Miyuki, Ayano, Misao, and others, she felt very incomplete. But after many things that had happened a year ago that almost shattered their relationship in pieces, she wasn't sure if she should carry on with this…not after what she had heard before his departure.

_"Before you ask, I also have something to say to you. I…I…am engaged to another girl."_

Kagami pretended to be happy for some reason since Hajime finally found love in the form of another girl. He really had no choice because it was his obligation as the successor to the company. Whenever both of them thought about the obligation, its power grew more; and in a matter of time, will outgrow the power of true love. If she doesn't act soon, she will lose to the power of obligation and her only chance of a shed of romance will disappear for eternity.

Christmas Day was the ideal time to act.

---0---0---0 ---0---0---

"I wonder if Kagami-san will like new ribbons for her pigtails." Hajime said, browsing through different selections.

"It looks wonderful." Miyuki replied. "It would definitely fit her."

"I feel bad if this is what I can only afford. I've been in a tight budget lately."

"Is it because the company's losing money fast?"

"If they don't do something about it, the company will be forced to shut down."

"That is bad indeed. But I think Kagami-san will like it regardless of the value. She's the type of person who doesn't want anything fancy."

"I suppose you're right. I hope she will come to like my gift; although I'm not expecting anything in return."

"How about getting a job?"

"A job, you say? I didn't think of that in the first place."

"A waiter in the restaurant or a clerk in a bookstore…"

"OH no, I'm not doing any of those. I've had bad experiences with those jobs. And it's better if you didn't know, Miyuki. Besides, I already bought the ribbon."

Indeed, he had bad experiences doing those jobs that pay considerably. During his middle school days, he was sent to a restaurant owned by his father to experience white and blue collar labor first hand. A few days later, Hajime broke about twenty goblets, thirty ceramic plates, and even busted the electrical system of the restaurant after plugging the charger for his iPod in the wrong socket. It was straight out of a gag scene.

---0---0---0---0---0---

"Say, Konata…" Kagami said, reading the last few pages of a light novel.

"What is it?" Konata replied with a catlike smile.

"What would be a good gift for a certain someone this Christmas?"

"Is it a boy? I can tell because you're blushing."

"S-S-So what if it's a boy? I just want y-your opinion!"

"You have to know what's on his wish list."

"What does he want? I never got the chance to ask him. It would be too demeaning if I ask Tsukasa to whip up a batch of cookies. She's been working so hard and…"

Regardless of her second-to-none acting, Konata put up a grin on her face.

"W-What is it?"

"Your acting turned me on."

"Turned you on? Anyway, are you going to help me or what?"

"Okay, I'll help you but on one condition."

"That's pretty shrewd of you. What is it, then?"

"You'll have to let me copy your homework for the season."

"Straight to the point, huh…? Fine then, but if it doesn't make him happy, then the deal's off."

"Fine by me, I can always count on Miyuki."

"(She's really pissing me off!)"

To start off, they went to the local department store because of financial constraints (simply speaking, they too are also on a tight budget). The gift had to satisfy the person to be given but at the same time it had to be as cheap as possible without a compromise in its appearance and value. What kind of gift was ridiculously cheap but at the same time satisfactory? They started off at the boys' wear section where lines of men's apparel were on display ranging from underwear to tuxedos. A simple printed shirt could possibly work.

"Hmm…much of these shirts are pretty plain." Kagami said, holding one right in front of her. "I was thinking of something extraordinary."

"How about this…?" Konata showed a three-set pack of tidy whiteys.

"K-Konata…! Aren't you even ashamed of that?" Kagami's face turned red upon seeing the clean underwear.

"What's to be ashamed about three briefs?"

"Konata, don't blurt out risqué statements!"

Everybody was busy preparing gifts for friends and family. It was that time again; the holiday season. Since early December, people have been brainstorming of what to give to their friends and family. Of course, it didn't have to be too luxurious but not too demeaning; like in the case of Hajime's present to Kagami—two fancy velvet black ribbons for her pigtails. Since it was velvet, it must've cost a fortune for someone whose company is currently on the verge of bankruptcy.

Night befell on the metropolis and the prefecture. While Hajime had already wrapped his present, Kagami still had a long way to go. Heck, she didn't even have the perfect gift. She went home without anything to give to him. She felt very ashamed of herself; so ashamed of herself that she wanted to commit hara-kiri. Turning on the TV, she hoped to grab at least some inspiration in tonight's special feature of her favorite drama series.

_"You said that you wanted to talk to me about something."_

_"Unfortunately, you're the only person I can trust on." _

_"What is it that you wanted to talk about?"_

_"It's about us."_

_"Huh?"_

_"I think all's not going well for the both of us. Our love has hurt people more than it could love."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"My mother committed suicide. Your brother died in an accident. Our dads are constantly bugging each other. This is all because of us. So I think it's best if we don't see each other for now."_

Two hours before Christmas Day…two hours of preparation…two hours to think…but these hours would feel short; too short perhaps. What would a guy like the most from a girl? She had already given him cookies on their first date; she could do no more, considering that she was putting her sister in strain too much.

Just out of the blue, Tsukasa appeared carrying a small pouch of freshly-made cookies all wrapped in a plastic pouch sealed by tying a red ribbon and had a card attached to it.

"Here you go onee-san." She said. "It's one of my best so far."

"Tsukasa…I didn't ask you to make this. What's gotten into you?" Kagami asked.

"Kona-chan told me about your problem on the phone earlier. As soon as I heard about it, I quickly made a batch of cookies for whoever it was."

"But you shouldn't have bothered yourself. I've been asking you these favors too much from the day I met him."

"We're twins. We always help each other out."

"Tsukasa…I feel bad…as an older sister."

"You said it yourself, onee-san: neither of us is older or younger."

Suddenly, Kagami's cell phone rang carrying a new message in the inbox. According to the inbox, it was from Hajime.

_"__Kagami__-san, please meet me by the riverbank tonight__ at __midnight__. Don't worry; I've notified your parents beforehand."_

Without any form of hesitation, she grabbed the pouch and out the door she went, running—running as if her life was on the line…love life that is.

---0---0---0---0---0---

The riverbank was very far from her house; about two hours on foot. She ran as fast as her physique allowed her. Thirty minutes later, she could barely walk because of running too fast. Worse, she wasn't even halfway there. She stopped by a road full of vehicles going north and southbound. Kagami forced to get back up in the game and run the remaining distance but after half-an-hour of intense footwork, she couldn't bear any more. A cab pulled over right in front of her: it was Sano's taxi. The driver opened the window right in front of her.

"Kagami, get in!" He said; in which she fully complied.

---0---0---0---0---0---

"Takashi contacted me to pick you up at your house." He explained, driving along the route towards the riverbank. "But when your sister said that you ran off, I needed to find you. It's a good thing my phone allows GPS tracking."

"I'm sorry if I bothered you at your work." Kagami apologized.

"Just don't run off somewhere next time. I had a hard time tracking your movements."

"We're supposed to meet at the riverbank by midnight. Can we make it on time?"

"The remaining six kilometers is impassable to all vehicles. You'll have to make it there on foot."

Sano put the pedal to the metal as the cab increased speed under tolerable conditions. Red lights stopped him in his tracks and there were a few instances where they encountered accidents on the road. But they've reached the drop-off point with time to spare.

"This is as far as I can take you. You'll have to get to the riverbank on foot." Sano said.

"How much do I owe you?" Kagami replied. "This is a taxi, right?"

"You should be thankful. I forgot to turn on the meter. Now go."

As the car left the drop-off point, she walked the remaining distance to the riverbank. The last few kilometers consisted of a dark alley with nothing but the light at the end of the alleyway as her guide. Who knows what she may step on: trash, waste, or even something crunchy? But in the end, she got out of the dark alley without stepping on something except the pavement. She reached the riverbank on time but she forgot to ask one detail: what part of the riverbank?

Her wrist watch clicked at exactly midnight. A stream of light flew from a distance and exploded in the sky, spreading into several colors streaming across the night sky. Then, more of these streams of light flew up in the sky and exploded in different colors. The sky was filled with different colors splashing like colors in a canvass. She looked at the fireworks display with utter amazement.

"Did you wait?" Hajime approached her from the east.

"No, I just got here." Kagami replied.

"Anyway, Merry Christmas…" Hajime handed out his gift to her, wrapped in green packaging and tied with a red ribbon.

"Here is mine." Kagami handed out her pouch of cookies, which she still felt ashamed about because it wasn't originally her creation.

"You have a taste for sweet stuff, Kagami-san."

"To be honest, I didn't make those. Tsukasa made me a batch…again."

"It doesn't matter. I wasn't expecting something in return anyway."

They watched the wonderful and awe-inspiring fireworks display by the riverbank. They watched the different colors splash in the air.

"Merry Christmas, Hajime-kun…" Kagami whispered.

"Yeah…Merry Christmas too…Kagamin…" Takashi said.

_BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL AT -jonz-3-5-_

_END OF 1 OF 2 SPECIAL CHAPTERS_


	7. Intimidation

_Episode 6: Strong and Strike! The Calm before the Storm_

_Chapter 25: Intimidation_

Weeks have passed; there was still no development in the relationship of Hajime and Kagami. Both of them were making sure that history doesn't repeat itself. The Sunday Crisis, although a full year has passed since that event, still intimidated their being. Nevertheless, Hajime wanted to prepare a surprise for her for no occasion at all. It was compensation for what was lost during the Sunday Crisis. He had to think of other places to take her to other than Tokyo Tower and Asakusa. Kagami couldn't find an opportunity to say what she had decided that was originally to be said right in front of him at the view deck of Tokyo Tower. Her life-changing choice was rudely interrupted by a kidnapping situation—modus operandi of Hajime's twin brother, Sano, who was now working for his freedom as a cab driver.

This is what Kagami had waited for—a shed of romance. This is what she always wanted: someone to admire her personality and interests. Even with friends like Konata, Miyuki, Ayano, Misao, and others, she felt very incomplete. But after many things that had happened a year ago that almost shattered their relationship in pieces, she wasn't sure if she should carry on with this…not after what she had heard before his departure.

_"Before you ask, I also have something to say to you. I…I…am engaged to another girl."_

Kagami pretended to be happy for some reason since Hajime finally found love in the form of another girl. He really had no choice because it was his obligation as the successor to the company. Whenever both of them thought about the obligation, its power grew more; and in a matter of time, will outgrow the power of true love. If she doesn't act soon, she will lose to the power of obligation and her only chance of a shed of romance will disappear for eternity.

When was the right time to act? Where was the right place to do it? And what was the force that was hindering the call of romance?

---0---0---0---0---0---

One school day, Kagami introduced her friends to the new student during lunchtime as promised. They've been hearing a lot about her in her first few days at the campus but they've never seen her in person. She was at her best form today: flowing brunette hair, red phoenix eyes, and not to mention average physique. Sure, nobody could resist her elegance. However, not a single person came to hit on her since she was still new to the Japanese society.

"Oh…so you're the new girl Kagami is talking about." Konata said.

"You look very refined today, Yakumo-san." Miyuki praised her. "You must be from a formal school in America."

"I'm really flattered." Yakumo replied. "But I'm not from a formal school. It's just that I use common courtesy wherever I go."

"It looks like we have another one like Miyuki-san."

"What was it like in America? May I know?"

"It's a great place to live. But nothing can compare to home sweet home."

Indeed, Yakumo is one fine lady. Born from a rich family, she traveled back to Japan for two objectives: (1) to finish her high school in the homeland; and (2) to keep an eye out for Takashi in case of worst-case scenarios. The Yamamoto and Hajime families have supported each other, making them the top two companies in the gaming industry. A handful of representatives from both clans came together in a secret meeting in Manila a few years ago to discuss the feasibility of a merging. The Yamamoto clan proposed a condition before they could agree to merge their mighty corporations: an arranged marriage between the granddaughter of the Yamamoto Group and one boy of her age from the Hajime Group. Without the consultation of Takashi, the Hajime Group accepted the terms of their partner corporation all for the sake of growing strong. Of course, the wedding wouldn't take place until they were legally of age. They paired the two up so time could foster their relationship with each other.

Yakumo's family, including her as well, migrated to America after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale decimated their mansion in a town within the Tochigi Prefecture at the same year the two clans agreed on an arranged marriage. Seeing that they couldn't go on living in that place anymore, they traveled to the United States to continue living their life. While she was in America recovering from the losses of the tragedy, Takashi suddenly remembered his childhood friend (although they never actually met during their childhood days) Kagami. He made several moves towards her as his fiancée spent a few years recuperating in Anaheim, California. In just a matter of weeks, their relationship had grown deeper than his fiancée. When Yakumo heard of such rumor, she didn't go back to Japan immediately considering her studies didn't allow her to. Furthermore, she had to be sure if the rumors were absolutely true. When Takashi arrived in America, he was immediately confronted by Yakumo. He assured her that he and Kagami were only childhood friends, nothing more and nothing less. Still, she felt uneasy and decided to follow his tracks back to Japan.

If she wanted something done, she had to do it herself.

After the day of her introduction, random conversations began; Konata, Tsukasa, and Miyuki being the most proactive ones. Each of them learned that she shared their very interests all in all as if she was the four (Kagami included) of them in one package. Konata couldn't help but rejoice because Yakumo plays on the same server as her.

"Really…?! You play at the same server as I do!" Konata said happily.

"I'm also a wizard, like Kuroi-sensei." Yakumo replied. "Maybe we can hang out and bash some creeps sometime."

**"**It would be an honor. How's tomorrow night?"

"Too late…! Tonight, let's go all out!"

"I think I've found my true buddy."

"H-Huh…?"

Tsukasa learned some pointers on cooking, her basic interest, from Yakumo too. Basically, their topic was about letting curry sit overnight, in which Konata learned the hard way.

"What do you think about letting curry sit overnight?" Tsukasa asked.

"Curry…? Overnight…? That's no good! The next thing you'll know, it's got molds." Yakumo unhesitatingly answered.

"I thought that curry tastes better if left overnight."

"Take it from me. I had the same experience. Horrible…just too horrible…"

"You're very knowledgeable in cooking."

"I learned from experience. That's my best teacher."

When it was Miyuki's turn, Yakumo narrated her academic past in the country. She could still remember the day when she topped the mid-term exams back in middle school; something that was hard to pass even with an all-nighter session. For somebody who cooks, plays, and studies, she knows balance in its proper definition.

"I really admire you, Yakumo-san. You placed first on the mid-terms." Miyuki was obviously inspired.

"Come on, you're flattering me too much." Yakumo said, blushing.

"And to think that you spent much of your years abroad, yet you can understand Japanese fully…what's your secret?"

"It's called balance, Miyuki."

"Balance, you say?"

"Too much of one can be very bad to you. So I learn to prioritize my time to study and to have fun like playing games."

"I'm quite glad to hear that."

Kagami observed all three proactive conversations and come to realize that she would fit in well in the Japanese society not only as a newcomer but also a regular citizen. Her heart felt as light as a feather whenever she saw Yakumo having a good time with people she had yet to know.

But alas, the events that followed afterwards became very cold and unforgiving.

---0---0---0---0---0---

"Who can solve this one?" The teacher asked the class after writing a complex equation on the chalkboard. "Let's call on two students: Yamamoto, Hiiragi, solve the equation."

Scribbles on the chalkboard later, the teacher analyzed their respective solutions. Despite their unique handwriting, both solutions looked alike as if they thought of the same answer. But the teacher's sharp eyes detected a missing piece in Kagami's answer, whereas Yakumo's answer was complete down to the value of the missing variable.

"Hiiragi, you missed a spot. Nice try though." The teacher said. "Job well done, Yamamoto"

Kagami looked at Yakumo not with eyes of astonishment but rather eyes of fear—eyes of trepidation and intimidation. For some reason, she felt very afraid of her influence and her power. Several days have passed and Yakumo kept on growing emotionally and intellectually. She kept on growing so fast, Kagami didn't realize that she had been deliberately overtaken.

Not only that; her friends were constantly being drawn to her influence.

"Konata," Kagami said. "I was thinking of hanging out with you at Gamers—"

"Ah sorry, I'm not going there anymore. Something came up." Konata explained briskly.

"Is it your job? But I thought you're on a break until tomorrow."

"It's not the job. Yakumo invited me on a creep-bashing spree later this afternoon since we don't have classes tomorrow."

"She plays games that frequently? That's very unusual of her."

"Well, I got to go. See you on Monday, Kagamin."

"Oh, okay…sure…whatever…"

When she arrived home, she immediately called Miyuki for at least a few minutes on the phone. There was nothing much to do in the house aside from today's homework. But the line was busy. She called her cell phone number and miraculously, she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Miyuki…"

"Kagami-san, what's the matter?"

"Well, I was thinking about a few minutes talking with you."

"Can this wait? I have Yakumo on the phone right now."

Stunned, she dropped the handset of the phone. It dangled a few inches off the table. While Miyuki was busy trying to establish contact with Kagami,

"Hello? Kagami-san, are you still there? Kagami-san? Kagami-san?"

…the twin-pigtailed girl faced a serious case of intimidation.

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	8. Confession

_Chapter 26: __Confession_

"Hello? Kagami-san, are you still there? Kagami-san? Kagami-san?"

She felt a little shaken but she was still able to think rationally. She picked up the handset and apologized to Miyuki for making her worry.

"Sorry, the handset slipped my hand."

"I'm glad to hear you're not hurt or something."

"Don't worry, I can call anytime. Maybe I just called you at a bad time. Bye for now."

Both hung up as Kagami went straight to her room and changed clothes from uniform to casual. Her worst fear wasn't the fact that the influence of the new student was taking effect on her friends; but the fact that she might lose her friends because they were spending more time on the newcomer than her. Apparently, it wasn't something to be alarmed about. So she took a deep breath and calmed down…for now.

"Kagami, Konata-chan is on the phone!" Her mother called from the staircase.

She placed a bookmark on a page of one of her light novels and went down the staircase to answer the phone.

"Kagami, are you free tomorrow?" Konata asked.

"Um…I think so." Kagami answered honestly. "Why you ask?"

"Hajime-senpai has 12 ride-all-you-can tickets to the amusement park not far from Miyuki-san's house. I was thinking if you and Tsukasa could come."

"How many have agreed to tag along?"

"Only the two of you I haven't asked yet. Oh wait a minute, Tsukasa agreed to go so that makes you the only one."

"Sounds good, I'll tag along too."

"Before I forget, at the amusement park, pretend that I'm your sister—"

"Hell no…!"

Kagami saw an open door—an opportunity to make up for the lost time during their meeting at Tokyo Tower; envisioning Hajime and her, all alone on the Ferris wheel while their basket is on the topmost reach of the ride where the vast view of the metropolis, all of its skyscrapers and even the mountains beyond the grand city could be seen by two naked eyes. It was the perfect place for the both of them to confess their feelings to one another. But with ten more coming along aside from the both of them, she had to look for another opportunity to execute such a manner.

Coincidentally, Kagami and Hajime were thinking the same thing at the same time.

"How will I confess to Kagami-san [Hajime-senpai?"

---0---0---0---0---0---

The next day turned out to be fair weather. The sun shone on every building, house, plant, and everything. It acted as a silent alarm clock, waking up sleepyheads with its blinding light. The early birds chirped on tree branches and electric and telephone wires. It had been several days since they've experienced a break in the gloomy weather. Mother Nature had blessed them with a truce, especially those who had plans for a picnic or a get-together event.

The call time was 10 o' clock in the morning. But knowing Kagami and her ongoing brainstorming of her plan of confession, she woke up two hours earlier on a non-school day. After eating breakfast, taking a bath, and dressing up for the occasion, she wasn't able to come up with anything. Things could've been easier if it was a date. On the contrary, it was a group outing with her friends. An hour later, Tsukasa followed her routine and joined her sister in the living room to watch TV to pass the time. The morning rerun of her favorite show was still on TV.

_"If you don't confess, we'll take you to the electric chair." _

_"I don't give a damn what happens to me. If I die, you won't get anything about the robbery."_

_"You're really testing my patience. Dip that bastard in boiling oil."_

Shortly after, Tsukasa joined her in the living room. They immediately left the house for the rendezvous point which was Miyuki's house. That was always the place when they needed to go deeper in the metropolis.

"I hate waiting." Konata said, her tone sounding very coarse; like someone from a certain anime. "I also hate people who make me wait."

"I'm sure they're on their way." Miyuki replied. "Besides, there are still a few minutes before the call time."

"Senpai, you sound like someone from Shippuuden." Hiyori said to Konata. "Um…what's that character's name again?"

"Dondake…? I didn't think of that in the first place." Konata laughed it out in her normal tone.

"Minami-chan, let's go together." Yutaka said.

"I'll take care of you." Her quiet friend responded.

"(Save the festivities for the carnival.)" Hiyori's mind acted up suddenly after looking and listening to their talk. "(Let's lock and load.)"

After waiting for a considerably long time, the twins arrived seconds before the call time.

"Sorry for the wait." Kagami apologized.

"Bah humbug! I hate people who make me wait." Konata reverted back to the coarse tone.

"Well sorry!"

Kagami also noticed that Yakumo was also with the group, talking to Ayano and Misao about something. Thoughts rushed in her mind; mostly serious. The possibility of her losing friends because of Yakumo still remained an alarming threat. But she didn't want her to think that she's paranoid so she let the chance for an interrogation slip by. After a head count the group led by Hajime and Miyuki moved out. The amusement park wasn't far from their house so a bit of exercise was very ideal amidst the fair weather and a break in the gloomy climate.

The group was welcomed by a snaky queue to the entrance. Every single one of them contributed in making the snaky queue even snakier. They arrived at the amusement park a bit earlier than the opening time. The park personnel roamed around the vicinity, making final checks before opening the entire park to the public. Some couldn't take the waiting; others couldn't stand the cold breeze. Soon afterwards, the muttering of the long queue forced the park to open ten minutes before the usual.

Of course, Hajime couldn't possibly bring all eleven of them in one group. There might be instances where the queue for rides could break them in separate clusters, making it bothersome since they had to wait for everyone to finish the ride. So he divided the group in three small ones by firstly selecting three people and lastly letting the three chosen ones choose their group mates. Misao chose Ayano, Yakumo, and Miyuki, forming one group. Konata chose Patricia, Hiyori, and Tsukasa to form another group. That only remained Hajime with Kagami, Minami, and Yutaka as the third party. He reminded all of them not to take off their ride-all-you-can bracelet at any circumstance. They were to meet back at the entrance lobby at noon for lunch and afterwards, into a park attraction that was to open in the afternoon.

"Where shall we go first, Kagami-san?" He asked.

"T-The Ferris w-wheel…" Kagami answered, shaken not because of the cold.

"What a coincidence. I was also thinking of the same thing. Let's go."

He reached out for his hand and tugged her along the way to the Ferris wheel. As expected of the other park attractions, the queue was as long as half the length of the queue to the entrance. But all the time they could spend until dusk was on their side. The longest of lines didn't make them impatient. To make things more exciting, each basket of the towering Ferris wheel could accommodate two people. The right factors were set…to compensate for the time lost during their date at Tokyo Tower.

"(I can do this! Go for it!)" Both of them thought the same words simultaneously.

When it was finally their turn, they stepped on an empty basket for two. Yutaka and Minami did the same on another vacant basket. When every basket was filled, the operator pushed several buttons on the master control to put the Ferris wheel into motion. Slowly, the humongous wheel moved clockwise, bringing every basket up and down in a circular motion. Free from any outside distraction, Kagami and Hajime finally set aside their nervousness and had a romantic talk with each other.

"The view is amazing, isn't it?" Kagami asked, looking outside the window of the two-seater basket. "I wish I can see this view from my house everyday."

"Not as amazing as you are." Hajime replied. "You look very wonderful today."

Which girl wouldn't blush after hearing such a reply? "I-I…uh…don't know what to say."

"I wouldn't lie in front of you."

Her heart started beating more rapidly as if she was going to nosebleed or something. "I…uh…"

---0---0---0---0---0---

The Ferris wheel made about four turns before the ride was stopped and one by one the baskets were emptied for the others to experience the exhilarating view from the air. During this time, their basket was suspended on top, giving them another chance to see the view of the metropolis. They took this opportunity to get down to business.

"Kagami-san, are you bothered?" Hajime asked.

"Huh…? Why are you asking that?" Kagami answered. "I'm perfectly fine."

"I thought you might be bothered by what I said a year ago before I left Japan."

"That you're engaged to another girl?"

"That girl followed me here to keep an eye out because of her growing suspicion about me two-timing."

"I told you, don't worry about me. Just follow what your heart dictates."

"Kagami-san, you are what my heart dictates. I'll break the rules of destiny just to be with you for as long as life allows us to live."

The beating of her heart intensified. Rather than a feeling of nervousness, she was already suffering from a heart attack. The heartbeat intensified along with the blood flow. Nose bleeding was imminent—something that she wouldn't let it happen because it would be difficult to remove the stain. Eventually, the power of self-control prevailed and the probability of a nosebleed stopped. By the time that happened, they were halfway towards the platform.

"I can't do what my heart says." Hajime said gloomily. "I have an obligation to my family. That certain obligation will ensure the survival of our generation."

"It can't be helped, can it?" Kagami replied.

"It really can't be helped. If I turn back, I will be a disgrace to my entire family. They'll say that it's my fault that I let them down."

"Don't say that. I'm sure your family will listen to reason."

Hajime looked out the window silently one last time before telling a tale.

"Kagami-san let me tell you a story. During my childhood days, I became good friends with a beautiful girl. We entered our first year in middle school together; and we had fun. There, my heart decreed that she was the right girl for me—not only as a friend who I can depend on but a companion in life. We graduated from middle school with flying colors and about to enter our high school. But before that even happened, she and her entire family perished in a car accident. The worst thing was I never got to say my true feelings for her. Then, my heart led me to another girl: you."

Kagami looked down on her feet and said: "I'm terribly sorry. I felt your suffering back there."

"We can't dwell in the past anymore. We have to keep moving. Oh look, we're almost at the platform."

Upon docking at the platform, they slowly stepped out of the basket and walked towards the exit. From a distance, Yakumo observed them holding hands…which turned out bad for her.

"I knew it, Hajime-kun." She said. "My suspicion was right."

_TO BE CONTINUED_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

More yuri situations…more intensified acts of yuri…more of your favorite Lucky Star characters in a shoujo-ai spree…starring Hiyori Tamura.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to…

**Hiyori**** Tamura's Yuri Theater**

March/April (or possibly in between) 2008


	9. Desolation

_Chapter 27: __Desolation_

Konata and Tsukasa looked obviously pale when the group gathered at the entrance lobby at noon. They were so pale; they couldn't even take a bite out of their lunch. Moreover, they felt very gnarly—about to throw up. The reason for their unusual behavior was more terrifying than Yui's reckless driving. The group had lunch by the hillside of the park, overseeing the view of the Shinjuku skyline. While others ate and shared their lunches with each other,

"Kagami, you can have mine." Konata said, setting her lunch box beside Kagami. "I don't feel like eating."

"Onee-san, you can take mine as well." Tsukasa also said the same thing. "I don't feel like eating."

"Seriously, that's what you get for eating before going on the roller coaster ride." Kagami replied pragmatically. "

"I think I'm about to throw up."

"Me too…"

"Do it somewhere else; not in front of me."

---0---0---0---0---0---

After lunch, the group set out on the carnival grounds; towards a new attraction. They saw a vast area filled with wooden walls arranged like a labyrinth. It was smaller compared to the ancient versions of the labyrinth. The attraction contained a few number of visitors; much of them came out irritated and pissed off mainly because of the fact that the attraction was a tricky one. Some parts of the wall shift from time to time, causing a major change in the labyrinth structure. Frankly speaking, this would be their next and last attraction before going home in the afternoon.

"A shifting maze…very incredible…" Patty couldn't help but be astonished. "We're going IN there?"

"I'll explain the mechanics now." Hajime started. "We will be divided in groups of three. On the heart of the maze is a white envelope. The first group to get it will have a prize from yours truly. Beware; the maze is designed to change its form every minute. Timing and speed is the key. Since I am going to facilitate the game, I won't be joining."

"Cool! It's like The Amazing Race! So what is the prize?"

"You'll know soon enough."

Since Konata and Tsukasa still felt noxious after learning their lesson the hard way, they watched the game from the sidelines. The name of the game was "labyrinth escape". It happened that the attraction was the source of the visitors' irritation when they leave the amusement park; at least some of them. Minus the game master and two noxious girls who were on the verge of throwing up again (the last time shortly after lunch), there were nine participants. Ayano, Misao, and Kagami formed one group. Hiyori, Yakumo, and Patty formed another group; which leaves Yutaka, Minami, and Miyuki to form the last. The watchers managing the labyrinth placed every group on different entry points throughout the maze. All entry points were of equal distance to the heart of the maze so fair play was ensured. A hill towered over the maze, giving the spectators a good view of the progress of the three teams. At his wave of the flag, the teams set out to recover the prize at the heart of the maze.

"Ooh…what could be inside the envelope?" Patty said. "The suspense is killing me."

"I wonder what's gotten into him." Hiyori asked herself. "Senpai is acting weird."

"Who cares? I want to see what's inside that envelope!"

"This game…the entire outing…it feels like we're little kids on a field trip with our teacher."

"You've been making too much doujin. Stop and smell the roses for a sec."

Regardless of that statement, Hiyori had every right to wonder. In fact, Yakumo agreed with her for the first time. She also got the feeling that they were like little kids on an outing with an adult. Staying silent, she recalled the events that happened before the maze thing. There was the entering of the park vicinity, the rides she had been into before noon, the time when she saw Hajime and Kagami holding hands, and now this.

"(I got a boatload of things to say to you later, Kagami-san.)"

Meanwhile, Kagami's team was halfway to the center despite the annoyance created by the sequence of wall sections rising up and falling down every five minutes. They were making great progress on top of that even though Minami's sharp senses put her team much nearer to the goal. While thinking deeply a section of the wall rose up in front of Kagami and behind her teammates, separating them completely.

"Shoot!" Kagami said. "Kusakabe…! Minegishi…!"

"Misa-chan, we got separated from Hiiragi-chan!" Ayano warned her current companion.

"Don't worry, Hiiragi. We'll get you out of there." Misao shouted from the other side of the wall section. "As soon as we get the envelope…"

"You're seriously leaving me here?"

"Misa-chan, I think we should go after Hiiragi-chan first."

"I can't let them reach the goal. I'll go on ahead. You get Hiiragi."

"Kusakabe, I got a boatload of things to say to you later!"

The constant shifting of the wall sections per five minutes has delayed the progress of Minami's team, even with her sharp senses. Only after two circles she noticed that they were going absolutely nowhere. Backtracking didn't help much as well. The path they've traveled was now blocked by the new wall sections. Furthermore, the intense fair weather heat was taking its toll on sickly little Yutaka.

"I think it's best if we withdraw." Miyuki suggested. "If we go on any further, then she will…"

"I understand." Minami replied, raising and waving a white flag as high as she could. Soon afterwards, the watchers spotted the flag and led her team outside of the labyrinth.

"Minami-chan, I've got a boatload of things to say to you later." Yutaka whispered into her ear.

"Save it for later." Minami answered back.

With her team out of the race, only the isolated team of Kagami and the intact team of Yakumo were remaining. Misao was completely isolated from her teammates as she strived to make her way to the center all alone. The number of shifting wall sections increased as they came nearer and nearer to the goal. The intervals also got shorter: three minutes. They were at the inner section of the maze and from that point on, it would prove to be a challenge for the two teams.

Yakumo cared less about the prize at the center of the labyrinth. She wanted to know why they were doing this silly thing. Nevertheless, she was the type of person who wouldn't bog down unless necessary. As soon as her team was on the path to victory, they encountered Misao just from the other side. The envelope was several feet away from each other. Both of them would have to make a run for it. From that point on, it was all about speed.

Halfway to the goal, Misao's teammates joined in after finding their way to the long and winding road. Kagami went up ahead of her friends as Yakumo did the same. A flash of white suddenly appeared out of nowhere and the two girls were caught in it. Nobody was able to see the mysterious flash. But the next thing they knew, Kagami and Yakumo disappeared like they weren't there in the first place.

"H-Hiiragi…?" Misao was utterly shocked. "Hiiragi…? This is no time to play hide-and-seek. Where have you gone to?"

"Yakumo-san, where are you?" The same reaction showed up on Hiyori. "Where are you? Don't hide from us."

"S-She was in front of us a second ago, then at a blink of an eye…"

"They disappeared…without even leaving a trace."

---0---0---0---0---0---

Nothing but white…this was the perfect description for an empty space probably in another dimension. There was no sky, no earth, and not a single building or living life was around with the exception of the two girls who were sucked into it. They lay unconscious on white ground but eventually woke up at the same time.

"W-Where are we?" Kagami inquired. "This doesn't seem like the amusement park anymore."

"All I can remember is…" Yakumo started. "We were running towards the goal, and then all of a sudden this white flash brings us here in the middle of nowhere."

"We have to get out of here."

"But to where…? There's nothing here but white space."

"We must try. Every entrance has an exit, right?"

Without anything to guide them but their sense of intuition, they walked to wherever they were going. Since there was nothing here but white there was no north, east, south, west, or any direction on the compass. Regardless of their determination to escape the white void, their efforts proved too futile. After a few minutes of walking, they seem to be getting nowhere.

"This is hopeless." Yakumo said hopelessly. "We've been walking for ten minutes, yet still no sign of an exit."

"Just keep trying." Kagami replied. "We may bump into something."

She persisted on continuing with the search for light at the edge of the tunnel, even though she knew that the chances were drastically slim. Then, they stumble into a thick, dense mist. Usually, it would symbolize something nearby yet it also symbolized danger behind it. They weren't going to take any chances; they stormed inside the mist hoping to find something that could help them to get out of the white void.

"Don't let go of my hand, Yakumo-san!" Kagami said, running.

"I even don't want to!" Yakumo responded the same.

When they've broken through the mist, they were welcomed by an eerie sight. In front of them laid the ruins of a city: buildings covered in thick moss, roads with cracks, cars were literally everywhere even at the topmost floors of skyscrapers, and the sky above it was gray like rainclouds. It was the most sorrowful and depressing sights they have seen throughout their lives.

"W-W-What is this?" Kagami asked. "It's completely…"

"I don't want to stick around and find out." Yakumo suggested. "Let's take another route."

"Agreed…"

They turned around and walked the path from which they came from. They entered the mist again and went on straight ahead. They held hands so they wouldn't be isolated from each other. At the end of the misty road, the same ruins, the same moss-covered buildings, the same gray sky, and the same eerie sight welcomed them.

"W-Wait, I turned back!" Kagami yelled indignantly. "How can this be?"

"Oh no…" Yakumo said, terrified.

"What's the matter, Yakumo-san?"

"Kagami-san, over there…"

"Huh?"

"That building…over there…that's our school…and it's in ruins!"

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	10. Reminiscence

_Chapter 28: __Reminiscence_

**Author's Note: **You can tell by chapters 27 and 28 that I've been in a slump lately.

The fact that Kagami and Yakumo saw their school in total ruins could only mean one truth: the moss-covered buildings, the cracked roads, and not to mention the cars scattered everywhere…what they were seeing right now was the city of Kasukabe as nothing more but a ruined civilization. Both of them were able to recognize several buildings as proof that the ruined city was really Kasukabe: the Kasukabe West train station where Kagami, Tsukasa, and Konata get off on their way to school, the school which was reduced to an empty ruined pile of concrete blocks and steel bars, and other sites that seemed very familiar to her were now nothing but empty shells. Rather than sticking around looking at the eerie view, they scaled down the hill and went inside the ruins.

"It's like the city was hit by a nuclear missile or something." Kagami said, looking around her. "I don't recall Japan going to war with somebody."

"This must be some illusion." Yakumo commented. "Since when did we been hit by a nuke?"

"I don't know. But the sooner we get out of this creepy world, the sooner we can get some answers."

Their first stop was school. From the broken windows, cracked walls, and the litter scattered all over the campus grounds, it seemed that it was hit as bad as the other buildings in the city. The shoe lockers were all toppled down like dominoes and some pairs of shoes were either missing a pair or had its leather eaten by rats. Walking up the staircase, they've reached the floor of the seniors. They had to tread lightly because the corridor was full of sharp glass fragments. Their classroom, upon close inspection, was more than in total disarray—it was chaotic. After several minutes of salvaging, nothing useful could be found. Treading lightly, Kagami and Yakumo left school.

The girls reached their second destination: the Kasukabe West Station. Like any other ruined building, it was in shambles. While most of the train remained in the tracks, some passenger cars flung as far as the station entrance. Beyond the train tracks on both sides was a thick mist. They looked at inside the train; there was nothing but glass fragments, pieces of paper, a bit of the slimy moss, and parts of steel from the train itself. Alas, there wasn't anything that could help them get out of the ruins.

As they roamed around the station looking for an exit to this horrible nightmare or at least something useful for their survival until they've found an exit to this horrible nightmare, Yakumo used the opportunity to ask Kagami about something. Definitely, it was about Hajime.

"Kagami-san, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"How did you and Hajime-senpai meet?"

Of course, she could've asked the question at a better time. But it was sink or swim.

"Well, it's kind of complicated."

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"__Hiiragi__Kagami__, I presume?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I handpicked these flowers myself. They're very lovely because I tended them myself—as lovely as…uh…right; roses of the world."_

_"Um…are you from this school too?"_

_"Oh I totally forgot to introduce myself. I'm a senior here—Hajime Takashi."_

_"I…uh…don't know what to say."_

_"Don't fret, __Kagami__-san. I anticipated you'll be in shock after this. Please take the rest of the day to realize what my true intentions are." _

_"You must have the wrong person. These flowers must be for somebody else. I'm only a junior and you're…"_

_"Age doesn't matter to me. They're only numbers which divide our society."_

_"Takashi-__senpai__, I…really, you must be mistaking these roses for somebody else. I never have been approached like this before."_

_"There's no doubt in my heart, __Kagami__-san. I 'admire' you for who you are…your looks, your smarts, your friends…these are some things that I don't have since the beginning of time."_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"I thought at first he mistook me for somebody else." Kagami explained. "Then I realized he was after me this whole time."

"It must be hard for you then." Yakumo replied. "You became the apple of the eye to him and his brother."

"I kept on wondering what I had that other and prettier girls didn't. They were so desperate over me. I want to know why."

"How can you say that? It's pretty obvious that any boy will fall for you."

"What are you saying?"

"Class representative, twin pigtails, the typical tsundere persona…then you're telling me that you don't know?"

"Hold on, who said that I'm a tsundere?"

"You know what Konata-san said: every girl with pigtails is a tsundere."

"(Konata, I've got a boatload of things to say to you when I get out of here.)"

"Did he ask you if you want to be his…you know…?"

"It was the first thing in his mind."

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"We've known each other since childhood. We've went through every obstacle our lives could throw at us. We've helped each other in our weaknesses and became better persons. I've withheld my feelings for a long time. Now that we are in our senior year, it's time to let out my emotions. I have always admired you for who you are. I know that you are lonely because no one would share your interests. I know that you're shocked at whatever I said yesterday. It's the calling of my heart, not my will. The words that you see right now on this letter won't suffice my feelings for you. So I'm asking you to meet me at Tokyo Tower on a Sunday morning. I'll be just outside if you can't find me. I've waited for too long for this. Sunday morning will be the time I will confess to you."_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"A letter, eh? That is indeed very lovely." Yakumo commented.

"I feel like hitting myself with a mallet when I first heard those words from him." Kagami said. "He was really desperate for me. It's something that I dislike but for some reason, I tend to feel overjoyed about it."

"He's a nice man. He won't do anything to hurt anybody."

"Unfortunately, that's not entirely true."

"What do you mean?"

"He did hurt my heart…for the first time."

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"__Kagami__-san, I—"_

_In a stunning turn of events, __Kagami__ let out a forceful slap against Takashi's right cheek._

_"Stay away from me from now on." She said subtly but with anger building inside her._

_"I know I've been such a jerk. I'm sorry."_

_"You two used me as a prize. You took me for a trophy."_

_"__Kagami__-san, it's not like that."_

_"We're done talking. Don't look for me anymore."_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"I see…I watched the live coverage of your worst-case scenario last year." Yakumo said.

"But that's all in the past." Kagami replied. "After all, you can't change what has been done."

"True…but don't you feel guilty that he's already engaged to another girl?"

"It's a family obligation—one vs. a hundred. Besides, if I really care for him, I'll respect his decision—"

Kagami paused before she could even finish her answer. There was something wrong with what Yakumo asked.

"Wait a minute; how do you know that he's engaged to another girl?"

"Kagami-san…it's time for me to reveal my true identity…and my intentions for coming to Japan."

"True…identity…? Intentions…?"

Suddenly, the girls heard something bump around them. Every second they spend here is every point increase in the creepiness meter. Thinking that it was only a loose beam or something, they carried on walking around the city. After getting an eerie feeling, they both get the impression that they weren't alone.

"I saw something m-move." Yakumo said. "Behind the wreckage…"

"I-It must be a rat or s-something." Kagami replied; trembling.

"It's way too big to be a rat."

"Come on, the sooner we find an exit the sooner we can get out of this accursed place."

As they left the wrecked train station, silhouettes jumped out of the shadows of the buildings and encircled them. The black silhouettes growled like carnivorous savages and pressed on them a step after another until they were within melee range. The girls hugged each other tight and trembled in fear. There was no time to ask for specifics. It seemed that it was the end of the road for them.

"K-Kagami-san, I'm scared." Yakumo suddenly turned from serious to fearful.

"Don't ask me for courage. I'm scared too!" Kagami shouted.

"It looks like this is goodbye."

"And we hardly have known each other."

The girls hugged each other tighter as the creatures jumped high to pounce on their dinner. All of a sudden a bright flash shone above them, driving the creatures back into the shadows since the illuminating light was burning through their dark skin. The girls couldn't see where the bright light came from (because of the bright light itself) but they heard somebody's voice behind them.

"Teleportation!"

They both turned into a bright light and disappeared from the vicinity of the ruins. The city itself concealed itself once more in a thick mist and eventually disappeared from the white space.

_TO BE CONTINUED_

---0---0---0---0---0---

From the creators of "Yuri Yuri Yuri Dayo" comes another set of sweet chapters of shoujo-ai: the popular Konami pairing spearheading the story…more intense girl-love hosted by Hiyori Tamura.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to:

**Hiyori**** Tamura's Yuri Theater**

Opening its doors on March/April 2008

---0---0---0---0---0---

It's been great…but it's the end. The last 10 chapters of the heart-pounding romance between Kagami and Hajime…and the rivalry between Kagami and Yakumo…

Will it be a deal or no deal?

**Kagami**** in the Rain 3: Sanctuary (Guest starring Zero no ****Tsukaima's**** Hiraga**** Saito)**

Mid-2008


	11. Hurricane

_Chapter 29: Hurricane_

Everything: the ruined city, the wild creatures that were about to eat them, the gray clouds grayer than the rainclouds hovering above the city seemed like a bad nightmare gone worse. They thought they were goners for sure. They thought that the mysterious flash of illuminating light could've arrived at a better time. Finally, there they were—at Miyuki's house lying down on the soft bed. The events that followed after being teleported out of the ruins were a blur to them. It was for the best. Some things in the world are better off not knowing by man.

Kagami woke up with a headache of dizzying proportions. "This seems to happen to me a lot." She said to herself. Indeed, it seemed to happen a lot to her: to be knocked out and find herself lying on the soft mattress. Beside her was Yakumo, sleeping like a little fallen angel. It wasn't the first time this happened to Kagami. It happened a lot of times; particularly after being struck by lightning, sprayed with knock-out gas, fatigue from the rain, whiplash, and now returning from the real world through a bright flash of light. She went out of the room and faced the rest of the gang by the living room.

"Ah, Kagami-san you're finally awake." Miyuki said, standing up from the sofa. "Are you feeling any better?"

"This seems to happen to me a lot." Kagami responded along with a sigh. "What happened to us anyway?"

"Your teammates said that the both of you disappeared unexpectedly. But we found you two unconscious by the east entrance of the maze."

"Did you see by any chance a bright flash of light before we disappeared?"

"Flash of light…? We didn't see any."

"(It means we were the only ones who saw that flash. But why…?)"

"Is something the matter, Kagami-san?"

"No, nothing at all…just something on my mind…"

It was no use extracting any information from the rest of them—especially from Miyuki who was honest and truthful to the core. Nevertheless, what mattered to her was the fact that they were back to the real world: where civilization still continued to prosper under man and technology…and both of them came back intact. She was definitely glad to be out of that horrendous dimension.

---0---0---0---0---0---

The following day at school, Kagami went to her sister's class for lunch.

"Tsukasa, you forgot your lunch." She gave it to her sister.

"I'm sorry. I was on a hurry a while ago." Tsukasa replied, giggling.

"Don't force yourself to finish such a long homework. Besides, the deadline's two days from now."

"I thought that I can finish it in a day and spend the remaining days resting."

Konata, as usual, intervened.

"I don't have to worry about deadlines. I can wing it the night before the deadline."

"And you're going to grow up as a bad person." Kagami said.

"Try it, Kagamin. You enjoy two for the price of one."

"Don't put me in your category!"

Moments later, Yakumo dropped by for a visit in the classroom. Along with her was her lunch box as high as the length of her hands.

"Mind if I join you guys?" She said.

Of course, she was very welcome; no doubts about it.

Testing season was coming up fast. It has been several weeks since the break in the rainy weather. The traces of raindrops on everything below the sky had evaporated thanks to the intense heat. It was always sweltering after a week or two of nothing but downpour. Despite their loose summer uniforms, one can never predict the weather with absolute accuracy. Kagami's severe case of intimidation still alarmed her even though there wasn't anything to be intimidated about. She was utterly shocked last time after realizing that her friends were spending more time with Yakumo than her. If this goes on, she will be a book left on the shelf to be cobwebbed by spiders and accumulate dust eventually. But she couldn't say 'no' right in front of Yakumo. It was discourteous and furthermore, rude. If she continued to be rude, she will become the same cobwebbed and dusty book left alone on the shelf just to be cobwebbed more and accumulate more dust. Both options yielded the same effect, the latter being worse than the former.

"…and this guy really stinks!" Konata spearheaded the conversation followed by a burst of laughter. "I can't get enough of him, really!"

A stream of silence followed. Looking at her watch, Miyuki needed to go somewhere.

"I need to excuse myself. I'll be meeting somebody today." She explained the reason.

"Is it a boy?" Konata added with a dash of humor.

"No, you're mistaken. It's my love-struck cousin."

"Miyuki-san, like what I said…a boy."

Miyuki left the classroom as the conversation continued with only the four of them.

"So, Kagami, how are things going with you-know-who?" Konata asked, giggling.

"I know you're curious about it but don't blurt it out loud." Kagami replied.

"If you're really excited about something, then you can't help but blurt it out loud."

"It's nothing to be excited about."

"Really…?"

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"It feels like I'm in another dimension." Konata said. "Whatever happened to the 'pragmatic' Kagami?"_

_"I also freaked out when I first saw her like this during breakfast." Tsukasa replied. "And to think it happened right after we left Yuki-chan's house."_

_"It must have something to do with Miyuki-san's cousin. He's quite the fellow."_

_"Why, Kona-chan…? Don't you like her better this way?"_

_"It's not that I don't want to. It's just awfully creepy."_

_"Come to think of it…it's not like her."_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"T-That was a long time ago!" Kagami shyly responded. "B-Besides, I didn't even know that he was coming back."

"Come on…fess up. You know you want to." Konata said with a creepy tone.

"Zip it!"

"No, Hajime-kun, not there…uhhhh—ahhhhh…"

"I said zip it! (She really pisses me off!)"

Change of topic.

"Wouldn't it be nice if you had your own family, onee-san?" Tsukasa asked.

"I see what you mean. But it requires a lot of devotion." Kagami explained.

"To have your own house…your own husband and kids…your very own job with a considerable pay…I would like to have my own family someday."

"Considering that you love cooking and chores, you'll definitely have a family."

"Would Hajime-senpai be good enough of a husband for you?"

"T-Tsukasa, you talk too much!"

"Sorry…"

Unexpectedly, after hearing Tsukasa's last statement, Yakumo intervened.

"I'm terribly sorry but that will never happen."

"What makes you say that?" Kagami replied. "I mean, anything can happen right?"

"You see…he has an obligation to uphold as the heir to the Hajime Group." Yakumo said; showing to Kagami a diamond ring fitted to her ring finger.

"T-That's…"

At last, everything has been revealed. After long days of hiding in the shadows, she emerged towards the light carrying the truth—the ultimate truth about Yakumo.

"N-No…it can't be…" Kagami said, trembling.

"It's the truth, Kagami-san." Yakumo replied. "I am the girl he spoke of."

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"Before you ask, I also have something to say to you. I…I…am engaged to another girl."_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"I know how much he loves you and how much you love him." Yakumo added. "But in the end, his obligation will be much more important."

"B-But how did you know…"

"The amusement park, remember? I've watched the both of you hold hands like some couple on a date."

"Y-You were watching…this whole time…?"

"That's when I realized that you are the reason for his delusion."

"M-Me…?"

Then suddenly, Yakumo started bragging. "It's obvious. I'm more ideal for her because I spent my past days studying in a prestigious school in America."

An angry Kagami stood up and yelled: "Listen you; don't get all too high and mighty just because you're smarter than me!"

"Huh…? Who's acting high and mighty? I'm just doing what I believe is right. Are you jealous?"

Miyuki entered the classroom seconds later, realizing that there was something bad in the air.

"Tsukasa-san, what's going on?"

"Its onee-san…she's quarreling with Yakumo-chan!"

Kagami got even angrier; felt anger like never before when she heard more trash talk from Yakumo. The once best friends were being rent asunder. A handful of students around the classroom gathered around them, realizing that a quarrel was ongoing.

"I believe that you can't handle the truth yet. But you have to accept it: he's all mine."

"You're pulling my strings. Don't make me hurt you."

Tsukasa tried mediating the fight. "Onee-san, please calm down."

So did Miyuki. "Kagami-san, calm down. I'm sure she didn't mean what she said."

Despite their mediating efforts, Yakumo continued with the insults. "I'm the only one capable of providing him with everything. Can you?"

"Are you telling me that I can't provide him with everything?" Kagami yelled.

"I only asked a question. Besides, I'm the one who came from a rich family so providing his needs won't be a problem."

"That's obviously an insult! Tsukasa let me go!"

"It's all clear to me now. He still has no taste for girls. Worse, he picked this irrational, thin-skinned, below average, and naïve hunk of junk."

Just from out of the blue, she felt a forceful slap hitting one side of her face. Then for the first time (PROBABLY in Lucky Star history) Tsukasa, the one who gave Yakumo the hand, got angry.

"I WON'T LET YOU TALK LIKE THAT TO MY SISTER THAT WAY!!!"

_END OF EPISODE 6_

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	12. Testimony

_Episode 7: __The Perfect Storm__: A Cry in Despair_

_Chapter 30: Testimony_

Everyone had taken notice of the quarrel. Everyone gathered around them, some hoping for a peaceful resolution while others just for the fun of seeing two girls in a catfight. The break in the weather didn't last long. Rainclouds began arriving cluster after cluster, blocking the right to sunlight. A shower of rain bombarded the city. The air got cold and the atmosphere around the classroom was a dead zone. Silence enveloped in the air; not a single twitching was heard around the classroom. The power of intimidation was so great; it silenced an entire class of about forty to fifty students. Although the classroom's doors and windows were tightly sealed, the temperature felt like a freezer; and to think that it was the rain and not the snow. Why Kagami and Yakumo fought was not their concern anymore.

Their focus gradually shifted to Tsukasa.

"W-What just happened?" Much to their surprise, she had no clue about what she had done two minutes ago. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

Not one had the right words in mind to describe it. They only thought of two possibilities: either she couldn't remember the two-minute episode or she was only playing dumb and dumber. The silence was eventually broken when the school bell rang again, ending the students' lunchtime.

"We'll talk again at a more appropriate place and time." Yakumo said snobbishly as she left the room. "We're not done yet."

---0---0---0---0---0---

Tsukasa went ahead of Kagami in going home. The latter had to attend another meeting by the student council. While everyone was focused on the topic of the day, her mind was fluttering someplace else. Nobody had taken notice of her daydreaming until the end of the session. Eventually, she went home alone on foot. Along the way, she met up with Eri.

"It's been a while." Kagami said. "What is it this time?"

"I…I had a dream." Eri replied, shaken. "You were there."

"A dream…?"

"You were shot…on an abandoned warehouse. I couldn't see the killer...it was too dark."

"It must've been a nightmare. Don't worry too much about it."

"But—"

"Look, I have to get home. We can talk some other time…just…not now…"

"Is something the matter?"

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you. I'm just tired from the pressure of school."

"I know you, senpai. You're the type who wouldn't be easily tired after a day at school."

"Well, my load's been increasing lately. Besides, I'm applying for college so it's normal."

"Well…okay then…see you around."

---0---0---0---0---0---

Ever since Hajime introduced himself to Kagami, a lot of things have been happening lately—weird things to be exact. It seemed what most people think about love was true—love is a life-changing element of the circle of life. She started high school as a normal high school girl with lots of friends in high, middle, and low places. She lived a happy life being one of the smartest students in the campus and the class representative of her class without her fandom for the FMP series and shooting games compromising her personality. There was one thing she felt desperate at: someone who would admire her; which was Hajime's call of duty. Destiny answered her prayers with a certain boy; that is, Hajime. Alas, wishing came along with a price tag.

She had cheated death many times right after her meeting with him. It seemed that meeting him was a bad omen. Nevertheless, both shared their intimate love with each other and continued to get to know one another. While she had defied death many times in the past, supernatural occurrences are happening in the present. What awaits her in the future then? It had to be something more unique.

She withheld the thoughts for the future. Her primary concern right now was the mystery why Tsukasa went ballistic a while ago.

But all she got from her was: "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Kagami said. "But I saw you slap Yakumo hard."

"Did I?"

"You really don't know? What happened then?"

"When she insulted you, everything just went black. The next thing I know, everyone's staring at me. I tried asking everyone what had happened but nobody urged to answer."

"Even if you didn't know, it's not right to slap her just like that. Now everyone will have a negative impression of you."

"I'm sorry, onee-chan…for whatever I did."

"I really want to believe you. But no one will take your word for it."

Konata explained to her family what had happened to school. It seemed that she enjoyed narrating about it.

"…and then Tsukasa just went ballistic all of a sudden." She ended her long statement.

"S-Scary…" Yutaka replied, trembling.

"I think I heard a story like that before." Kona-dad said.

"Really…? Did it involve two tsunderes in a catfight?"

"Suddenly, I feel scared."

"Actually, Kanata handed down this story to me. It was during her high school days where two girls were quarreling with each other because of a single rich boy. Nobody dared to stop them."

"Then what happened?"

"It's getting scary…"

"Then the younger sister of the one girl stepped up and slapped the provoker. It was very unusual of her because she was the kindest and most innocent student in the class. She could even barely hurt a fly or an ant."

"Birds of the same feather…"

"Scary…just scary…"

"I didn't think that would happen after several years. I should've taken pictures of it. I love tsunderes in a catfight."

"Suddenly, I feel gnarly."

"You're even scarier than the story."

Miyuki decided to give the Hiiragi residence a call. Tsukasa picked up the handset. "Hello?"

"Ah, Tsukasa-san…?"

"Yuki-chan…!"

"I just called to know if you're doing well. The way you acted back at school was…"

"The truth is…I didn't have any idea that I slapped Yakumo-chan."

"Were you daydreaming?"

"No, I was wide awake when the fight started."

"Then what could the problem be? Are you sick?"

"I'm perfectly fine."

"Oh can you wait a second? I have an e-mail message."

"Okay."

Miyuki flipped her cell phone open. There on the screen, it displayed one new message coming from Hajime. Few button presses later, she read the message. "I'll be coming home late. Have dinner without me. I'll just grab something to eat outside."

"Who was it from?"

"It's from my cousin. He said that he'll be coming late tonight."

He had a specific and valid reason for coming home late. A dreadful reason…

"It's going to be your fault if our two clans go to war against each other." Yakumo said. "Stop dillydallying if you know what's good for you."

"The reason I accepted you was because I didn't want to disgrace my family." Hajime replied.

"You're going to bring shame to your family with what you're doing. It's not too late to stop this. It's either success or shame; your call."

"Why do you try so hard just to go as far as this?"

"I too have an obligation to fulfill. Otherwise, there will be nothing left for me here but shame."

"What does 'shame' even mean to you?"

"Your relationship with Kagami is absolute shame! That's what it means!"

"You take back your words! You've got no right to talk to her like that!"

Mentioning her name made Kagami sneeze. At least it wasn't as loud as Konata's.

"You okay?" Inori asked.

"Yeah, just some dust." Kagami answered, rubbing her nose with a clean tissue.

"Maybe somebody was talking about you."

"You believe in that superstition?"

"Anything can come and go. Of course, that's not entirely true."

---0---0---0---0---0---

The argument continued at the dead of night. Nobody could hear them quarrel at the same spot where they first argued. Nobody stepped up to stop them and settle things peacefully since nobody was there and it wasn't really their business whatever damages would be done. The night was getting younger. Both of them felt that they wanted to settle things right here right now.

"Hajime-kun…I was never incomplete at anything." Yakumo turned sentimental. "I always strived hard at my weak points and continue to enrich my strong points. Tell me honestly…where did I fail? In what aspect did I fail? What did Kagami have that was not present in me?"

"You didn't fail at anything." Hajime answered sincerely. "Sure; you're intelligent, kind, caring, everything that I dreamt of about the ideal girl."

"Then why can't you accept me? It took me years to become a refined person that you see right before you."

"It's because…"

"Because…?"

"Destiny decides who's who, not man. This is my testimony."

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	13. Special Chapter 2

_Special Chapter 2:_

_"__Kagami__ in the Rain" __Post-__Valentines Day Special_

**Author's Warning: **The chapter contains informal language and scenes not suitable for children. Viewer discretion is advised (especially to those with no guts).

Love is indeed a mysterious word. There is no strict definition to it. The word is felt through many variations: by family, by friends, or even by a certain individual. The moment one mentions the word, people get the urge to talk about it in long hours of their free time (oftentimes at times when they can hit two birds with one stone). Sometimes, people can get full of it; talking about their love life and boys or girls depending on the speaker's mood. People will talk more about love during this time of year: Valentines Day.

The 14th of February is considered by many as a special day. To confectionary dealers and bakeshops, it is a time of great profit; knowing that people will barge in and hurryingly buy whatever the consumer's budget can allow them just for that specific special day. To the ordinary masses in a relationship, it is a time of giving—literally. It wielded the same concept of giving as of Christmas season but it was more than toys, clothes, or the like. Only two major elements exist on the 14th of February: a bouquet of flowers (or one flower), and a box of chocolates (either bought from the bakeshop or handmade with a dash of love). These things are merely instruments to help catch someone's heart—the primary concept about Valentines Day. It also builds up trust, which is indeed vital in a peaceful world.

Four hours.

Kagami has four hours.

_---Valentines Day---_

_---__2:00:00 – __3__:00:00---_

Learning from Tsukasa would be demeaning. Kagami had to make the chocolate cake herself with love, the most important ingredient in making the perfect gift. She's not going to take more any blunders. All of her previous gifts for Hajime were made by her sister. Of course, who wouldn't be embarrassed by the fact that the younger sibling is making her gifts? This time it's going to be way different.

She followed the instructions from the recipe book, hoping that the thickness of the book would save her from exploding pots and pans just in case. Mixing the chocolate mixture, pouring into the cake molds, and placing them in the oven preheated at the correct temperature, she couldn't have done it better herself. She was even proud of herself because she did it without Tsukasa's aid. While waiting, Kagami went back to her room to finish up on her world history homework. Everything seemed to be well-planned out.

That was until…

_---__3__:00:00 – __4__:00:00---_

"Kagami, your cake is burning!" Matsuri yelled from the staircase.

The kitchen was filled with thick black smoke. The first thing the sisters did was to open everything from sliding doors to windows to let the smoke out. Then wearing a pair of mittens, Kagami drew out the mold with the cake and turned off the oven. It didn't take long for the smoke to clear out but it didn't take long for her chocolate cake to become a humongous lump of charcoal.

Her tongue rejected the awfully bitter taste of the slice of cake. Hell, it was more for grilling than eating since it looked like a humongous lump of charcoal.

"And I thought I had perfected the art of baking…" Kagami said with a deep sigh.

"Why don't you just buy outside?" Matsuri suggested.

"And spend a lot on cake? I'd rather have it homemade."

"Not with that kind of attitude. You almost brought the house down."

"I barely have any money left."

"I can lend you some."

"Really…?"

"Under one condition…you'll have to do my chores for the rest of the week."

"No way…!"

"Suit yourself. I'm not originally involved in this anyway. How would Mom and Dad react to the fact you almost burned the house down?"

"You wouldn't—"

"I would."

"Fine, you win! Just hand over the money."

"Smart girl…"

Kagami had no other choice. Another incident like this could happen again. In addition to that, she doesn't have enough ingredients to make another one. It was time to seek the specialists.

The nearest cake shop was an hour away by foot. She walked rather than taking the express train that saved her half the time. She figured that she needed to lose some pounds after she lost to the battle against temptation of snacks. Even after following the instructions from a well-accredited book, she was still a failure in the art of cuisine.

_---4:00:00 – 5:00:00---_

It didn't take long for Kagami to realize that the quarter-mile-long queue was coming from the bakeshop. Worse, she didn't know any more bakeshops within the vicinity. Even if she knew at least one, she expected that place to be packed as well. The quarter-mile-long line became even longer thirty minutes after she lined up with only little change in her position. At this pace, it would take more than two hours to exhaust the queue.

"I'll never make it in time." She said. "If I wasn't so careless…"

A push of luck turned the tables. She saw a familiar sight just by the bakeshop door—a girl with long orange hair. To her surprise, her only hope of making it on time laid just several feet from where she stood.

"Minegishi…!" Kagami yelled as far as the audience can tolerate and as loud as her friend can hear.

"Hiiragi-chan…!" Ayano replied as soon as she saw Kagami from behind.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's for a special someone."

"Oh I see…can I ask you for a favor?"

"Huh?"

Just how was she willing to go this far…to ask somebody near the counter to buy the cake for her? And why was she such in a hurry to buy it?

Several minutes later, Ayano came out of the bakeshop carrying two boxes one in each hand, each tied with a bright yellow ribbon that matched the bright yellow box. The queue was quite long but Kagami was happy that her friend made it out with two boxes.

"Sorry for asking you this favor all of a sudden." Kagami apologized.

"No problem…" Ayano answered with a beaming smile. "That's what friends are for. But I can't help thinking why you are in such a hurry."

At last, a question worth answering…

_---Three days ago---_

_Kagami__ received an e-mail from Hajime at the dead of night. _

_"__Kagami__-san, I just want you to know that I found a vacancy near Tokyo U. I'll be transferring at the 14__th__at 6 o' clock. I won't be living with Miyuki once I transfer there; and it's going to be farther from your house."_

_---Present---_

"I see…so he's found a place to stay near the university." Ayano said.

"But still…" Kagami replied, looking down. "I still feel bad."

"I can sympathize with your pain, Hiiragi-chan. It's hard to lose a boy for the sake of his dreams."

"No, it's not that."

"Really…?"

"It's the fact that I failed to make my own gift…and to think that an older sister like me is seeking help from a younger sibling…"

"Hiiragi-chan, it's not bad to ask for help. Besides, neither of you and Tsukasa is really older nor younger."

"Still…"

"You'd better hurry. It's going to be five o' clock."

"Shoot!"

_---5:00:00 – 6:00:00---_

Miyuki's house was too far for Kagami to go on foot. But at this time, rush hour begins. The trains would be packed with commuters congested like solid molecules. Her cake might be squished in the process; or because of the escaping body heat the cake's icing might melt, turning the cake into a deformed abomination. She crossed the busy street along the pedestrian lane when all of a sudden a speeding taxi almost killed her if it weren't for the driver's split-second reaction. The taxi went from sixty to zero in five seconds, two feet from her. Too bad the driver was seriously irritated at her for not looking at both ways before crossing the busy street.

"Hey jackass, watch where you're going!" The driver came out of the car, infuriated.

"Jackass…?! The nerve of you…!" Kagami, who just cheated death again, replied.

"Got a problem, little missy? You're not even looking!"

"You're the one who's got a problem. You're over-speeding on heavy traffic!"

"Shut up or I'll slice that nosy tongue of yours!"

Another taxi pulled over just behind the cab of the infuriated driver. It was Sano's. He stepped out of the car and pressed his hand on the man's shoulder.

"I'd take back what you just said if I were you." He put up a scary attitude.

"Who are you to tell me that?" The enraged cabby got more irritated.

"I said take it back." Sano applied more force to the man's shoulder.

"You don't scare me. A fugitive will always remain as a fugitive."

"I may not scare you, but the sound of police sirens can."

Just behind them, flashes of red and blue were seen behind the incoming traffic. The sound of sirens filled the air, and the man immediately went back inside his taxi and put the pedal to the metal.

"You okay, Kagami?" Sano asked.

"Um…yeah…just a little traumatized." Kagami replied, shaken.

"Don't mind him. He reeks of alcohol."

"DUI…?"

"Drunks these days think they're kings of the road. So where you headed?"

"Miyuki's…"

"Hop in."

Along the way, Kagami explained everything: the reason why she was in a big hurry to get to Miyuki's house before six. Regardless of her desperation, Sano had to keep it under sixty-five. He was yet to be a free man.

"So I see…his big move is today." The cabby spoke.

"This is why I must hurry to Miyuki's before it's too late." Kagami said. "Can't this thing go any faster? I only have ten minutes!"

"I know how you feel but I can't break the law. I've already broken it many times. And why are you eager to give that box to him? You could always check out his place near Tokyo University."

"It's an all-boys dormitory."

"Okay, you convinced me. Hold on tight."

_---6:00:00---_

Three tickets later, the taxi pulled over at a street corner near Miyuki's house. From there they saw a black limousine parked in front of the household. Judging by the looks of things, he wasn't leaving just yet. A chance popped out right in front of them. All that Kagami needs to do is give the box to Hajime and hope that she doesn't screw this up like the cake baking back home. But the word "love" is so mysterious; it generated a force that hindered her from approaching him. This force was now in conflict with the desire of success—like two opposing teams pulling each side of the rope.

"Maybe you should give it to him." Kagami made such a remark.

"What are you saying? It's your gift; you give it to him." Sano defended his stand.

"B-But…I'm s-shaking l-like c-c-crazy!"

"Why are you shaking like crazy?"

"I-I don't know! The moment I stepped out of the car…"

"Are you afraid?"

"Afraid…? Don't be ridiculous. I've done this many times already."

"Then can't you do it again this time?"

Silence…then Sano offered words of encouragement.

"Is the little jackass afraid of being embarrassed? What an idiot."

"J-Jackass…? Now you're calling me that?"

"If you're going to be like that, the best name for you is Hiiragi Jackass."

"You've no right to call me that! Take it back."

"Then show me. Get in there and be a tough girl!"

Because of their argument, the black limousine left the household; the last hope of saying farewell has died. Because of a petty argument, Kagami had lost her chance…a chance she would have to make up by searching him in the Imperial Capital.


	14. Reaction

_Chapter 31: __Reaction_

Hajime's testimony…still it remained elusive to the fact that he couldn't accept Yakumo anymore despite his obligation to marry her. He reiterated his testimony: "Destiny decides who's who, not man." Yakumo couldn't tell if he was right or wrong because it was very elusive to her. For him, destiny led him to Kagami. Still it was absurd of him to think in that manner.

"Have you lost it?" A frustrated Yakumo surfaced. "Have she corrupted your mind with such gibberish?"

"So you're saying that what you say is gibberish?" Hajime argued.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said those same words several years ago…back in America."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You too were once against the arranged marriage proposal."

"T-That's because I barely know you back then. Now is now."

"Words last a lifetime, Yakumo-san. You also said that several years ago."

"D-Don't change the subject! Answer my question properly."

"That IS my proper answer. Anything more or less will be a fallacy."

"Can't I do anything to change your mind?"

"Then pray that I do."

Hajime gracefully excused himself, exiting the park. Even if she could do something to stop him from leaving, he had already left the park and paced towards the train station. Night had fallen by that time. Yakumo wasn't about to give up after two failed attempts of persuasion. Absurd thoughts were running around her mind—absurd ways of making him fall in love with her again.

Plan A: Kidnap Kagami and ask Hajime to love her as ransom.

Plan B: Put a drop or two of a highly-concentrated love potion on his bento.

Plan C: Hire a professional hypnotist and have him hypnotize only to follow her only command.

Plan D: This is too bloody to be even mentioned in public.

Plan E: Wish the best of luck for the both of them.

She refused to resort to Plan E. But she doesn't have any clue on her next move.

Meanwhile, Tsukasa ran to her mother for some food for thought. She wanted to believe her clingy daughter but defying logic is like defying nature. After explaining the situation a while ago back at school, it was so unbelievable it was logic-defying in the utmost sense.

"Did you intend to really slap her?" Her mother asked.

"No, I don't. It…just came to me." Tsukasa explained, continuing to defy logic without lying.

"Hmm…come here…"

As instructed, she crept closer to her mother who eventually held both of her hands.

"Listen; sometimes there are things that we have to do even if we don't want to do."

"But why…? Is it because it's the right thing?"

"It's not because we think its right; but it's the only way."

"The only way…?"

"So you didn't mean to slap her. Relax and apologize to her. Just explain to her and everything will be back to status quo."

"You think she'll understand?"

"I don't want to assume immediately. But do your best to apologize."

Kagami was having problems of her own.

"Konata, you better return my notes or I'll surely flunk the exams next week!" She yelled over the phone.

"What's the hurry, Kagamin? It's only the middle of the week." The carefree Konata replied.

"Don't tell me you've lost them."

"Why would I lose something that's vitally important for me?"

"Or is this some kind of conspiracy to bring me down?"

"I aim to pass; not to sabotage, Kagami."

"Moving on; you better return my notes tomorrow. Tsukasa needs to borrow them too. Besides, you should be responsible about taking down important notes. They're the lifeline of your grades."

"Sorry, but knowing me…I can't do it."

"You can't do it because you just don't want to do it."

Without her notes, she couldn't study a thing. Lying down on her bed, she looked up the ceiling and began thinking of another set of problems—problems that didn't include homework. There was only one thing she didn't think about: Eri's premonition. After all, a pragmatic person would want to believe that the chances of dreams coming true were a million to one. Kagami concentrated on the status of her love life. Given the situation, she still had the advantage over Hajime. In war, advantages are strictly important. In love, one will be in a bind without them. Still in the end, only one will get the last ha, ha, ha.

Ha.

Hajime was eventually put in the middle of the war between the first Juliet and the last. Both sides were now starting to inflict losses. It was highly unlikely for a war on this scale to result in a stalemate. However in love, no such word exists. One will bring home the bacon while the other will go home with nothing. Valentines' Day was fast approaching—it was that time again where girls give guys chocolate; the polar opposite of the Western custom. Normally, she would only give her friends chocolate, proving that love doesn't only apply between two lovers feeling like fools. This time, it was going to be different. For the first time in several years, she was about to give chocolate to a guy on Valentines' Day. Of course, she was expecting sporadic resistance from her rival Yakumo. Considering financial status, Yakumo this time had the advantage.

The richer the person, the better the gift...

---0---0---0---0---0---

"I'm getting nowhere." Kagami said to herself, putting her light novel down. "I'd better take this chance to get some fresh air."

So she did. Wearing her long-sleeve jacket, she went out of the house and embraced the cold night air. The moon was at its fullest form, illuminating borrowed sunlight. Looking up at the night sky, she gazed at the stars twinkling in different intensities—a notable few fading out while the rest still has energy to shine brighter than the sun. There was no need for her to stroll around too far; she only came for a breath of fresh air to refresh her senses. It was the best way to let go of her stresses, not to mention Yakumo's snobbish nature.

Shortly afterwards, she went back inside. It was getting colder than the usual. Her mother approached her for a simple favor.

"Kagami, can I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it?"

"I was planning on cooking your sister's paella tonight but I realized that we're short on saffron. Can you run to the nearest grocery store and buy some?"

"Sure thing; but what's the occasion?"

"Nothing in particular; I just want to try some new things."

After receiving the money, Kagami went outside again—this time she was to stray far from her home for an errand. Just in case the usual store was out of saffron, curry powder would work well. Again, she gazed at the stars as if seeking guidance or inspiration from them. On the bright side, she did remember to look both ways before crossing the street. Along the way, she met up with Ayano who coincidentally was also on her way to the same store.

"Mind if I ask you a question?" Kagami started.

"I can't help you with homework, though." Ayano laughed.

"No, it's not that. You're the only one I can ask since you've experienced having a boyfriend."

"We're doing just fine, thanks for asking. We're reaching our third month."

"So what does it feel like to have a boyfriend?"

"Hmm…there's no specific answer for it. It usually depends on the person."

"I can't comprehend."

"Ask yourself: does he love you? Do you love him?"

"He loves me absolutely…and I…I…"

"Is something the matter, Hiiragi-chan?"

"I…love him…"

Then, it hit Kagami.

"That's it! I love him!" She exclaimed, shaking Ayano like a baby's rattle. "Minegishi, I love him! From the bottom of my heart…!"

"Hiiragi-chan, who is it then?"

"I absolutely love him! I really do! I am so dense! Thank you for your help!" Kagami went ahead of her friend, running towards the grocery store carrying a beaming smile. Astounded but happy, Ayano said: "I don't know what's going on but I'm proud of you, Hiiragi-chan."

Kagami held on to her sunny disposition from entering the grocery store to leaving the grocery store. She held on to her sunny disposition as she walked back to her home carrying a small paper bag with a packet of saffron inside. Her body felt lighter than the usual as if she had the energy to eat snacks regardless of how much she would gain weight. What factor made her happy all of a sudden?

"(It doesn't matter how much I have to cope up with as long as I love him, period.)" Her thoughts raced around her head. "(I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him! I love him!)"

Suddenly, she let out one big scream: "I LOVE YOU, HAJIME-KUN!!!"

Incidentally, he was in front of Kagami; stoked and shocked.

_END OF EPISODE 7_

_TO BE CONTINUED_

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Yuri [noun – a term used to describe girl-love or shoujo-ai.

Tamura Hiyori [name – the founder of the Saitama Yuri Theater in Kasukabe City

April 2008 [date – estimated date of the theater's grand opening

Any questions?

For only 750 yen an hour, you can gain exclusive access to one of the most exciting places in Japan (all the snacks you can eat and drinks you can drink). Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to…

**Hiyori**** Tamura's Yuri Theater**

The doors and curtains will open April 2008

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	15. Shield

_Episode 8: Decisive Battle! __Kagami's__ Volition and __Yakumo's__ Compulsion_

_Chapter 32A: Shield_

**Author's Note: **Anime reference in some parts. Disclaimer in effect covering all stories of mine…

Kagami felt like she was stabbed on the back, particularly by a dash of cold air. Her face turned strawberry red, covering her mouth. Another dash of cold air deepened the first stab, making her red face even redder than strawberries. It was so far the most embarrassing moment in her entire life. Thinking of that even made her redder than blood. She felt something gush out of her nose: it was blood…in small proportions. All the more her face reddened at its reddest peak.

Afterwards, all blood breaks loose; gushing out of her nose in large proportions.

"No!"

Just kidding…

---0---0---0---0---0---

It was so far the most embarrassing moment of her life. Out in the open, in the cold starry night, she just yelled out the magic love words…to make matters even more complicated, Hajime was standing two feet from Kagami; two feet in the sense that they were two regular steps away—not small ones or big ones. Supposedly, this was the time when her nose will bleed like crazy. Too bad there was no need for such special effects.

"You meant that, don't you?" Hajime started raising questions.

A confused Kagami entered the fray. "Um yes…I mean no—no, I think so…uh…no, not at all…I mean yes, yes—yes in the sense that I mean no…"

Hajime placed his hand on her forehead. "Shoot! You're burning hot!"

That was definitely the last straw. Kagami collapsed and everything around her turned black. Hajime caught her by her arms and carried her around his back.

"(She may be a little bit bizarre. But nobody's perfect.)" He thought to himself.

He carried her as far as the Hiiragi residence—several miles and several minutes on foot. Inside, he explained the events that happened near the grocery store to her family. Of course knowing their daughter, they took every word he said. They even expressed their utmost gratitude for bringing her back her safe and sound.

"Why don't you at least stay for dinner?" Kagami's mother said. "It's the least we can do for bringing my baby back."

"I appreciate your offer but you know college life." Hajime replied.

"I see…so you're already in college. Well, if you have some spare time, our doors are always open for you."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you very much."

The doorbell rang all of a sudden. The next guest let herself in. It was Konata.

"Hello! I'm just going to return Kagami's notes—"She stopped when she saw two things: a sleeping beauty and a beast who somehow ticked her off.

"Okay pal, fess up. We had a deal." Konata gazed at him with scary eyes.

"Honestly, I did nothing wrong." He defended.

"Then why is Ms. Tsundere sleeping like a little angel?"

"Beats me…I just patted her on the forehead then she just collapsed."

Eventually, Ms. Tsundere came back to the real world upon opening her eyes. The redness of her face surfaced once again upon seeing Hajime who practically was touching her forehead.

"Good, your fever broke. For a while there you had us worried." He remarked.

"Kagami, you're as red as a strawberry." Konata commented. "Are you okay?"

"Um…yeah…I'm f-fine…" Kagami replied, shaken. "K-Konata, y-you came here to return my n-notes, r-right?"

"I'm done anyway. Thanks for lending them to me." Konata said.

It was particularly obvious: she was shaking like the tail of a rattlesnake; and it wasn't the cold that was getting to her. The pressure made her heart race like a formula 1 race car. She asked herself why such feelings surfaced just now. She had been in contact with him for nearly a year but she had never experienced her heart racing and her blood pumping during this time. Was it the fact that she blurted out the magic words after leaving the grocery store? Was it something in Ayano's words of advice? Was it the effect of the scent of the saffron she inhaled (knowing that the saffron was tightly closed)?

"Kagami, dinner may take a while so entertain your friend for the moment." Her mother suggested, at which the both of them complied.

That only left the parents and Hajime alone in the living room, staring at each other. The stench of the air changed all of a sudden. Eventually, the parents stared at him very gravely as if he was accused of something. Indeed, he is responsible for one thing: the welfare of their daughter.

"Don't take us the wrong way. We just want to make sure that our daughter is in good hands." The father spoke.

"No wonder it smelled so fishy all of a sudden…" Hajime replied. "I guess you want to talk to me about something, am I right?"

"You are aware that the whole of Japan watched the Sunday Crisis, aren't you?"

"Yes I am. Typically, that included the both of you."

"I know how much she shows her affection for you. But ever since that very day, we can't simply trust anyone anymore."

"Believe me; I hold no intention of endangering Kagami-san. I even tried talking sense to my brother."

"It's not an issue of doing courageous acts. It's about how you will be worthy of our trust. My wife gave birth to four girls. We simply can't allow losing even one."

Hajime was rendered speechless but still maintained her cool.

Meanwhile, Konata had a one-on-one talk with Kagami upstairs. The difference is the atmosphere upstairs was much lighter…as light as a feather

"So that's what happened." Konata said. "Well, it's not like the normal thing to do. Girls in a relationship do silly things a lot every time. It's a common stereotype in anime and manga."

"I don't know what came over me." Kagami explained. "I was talking to Minegishi about love then all of a sudden, an answer hit me right in the face."

"What kind of an answer?"

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"Ask yourself: does he love you? Do you love him?"_

_"He loves me absolutely…and I…I…"_

_"Is something the matter, __Hiiragi-chan__?"_

_"I…love him…"_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"You know, ever since he came back to Japan you've been acting weird lately." Konata noted. Indeed her friend was acting weird since chapter 23. Nine chapters later, her weirdness is still growing stronger and stronger by the minute.

"Even we don't have an explanation for that." Kagami said.

"On the contrary, Kagamin; I have an explanation for it. There's this one series where a girl nosebleeds every time she sees this boy she likes."

"Another hardcore reference, huh? You seem to be enjoying making those as bibliographies."

"Take my advice: inhale and take the plunge."

"Take…the plunge…?"

"If you won't tell him now then when…and who…? It all depends on the first strike, Kagami. It's like what Kuroi-sensei said before the sports meet: the strategy is to rush in from all sides and whack them real good."

"You seem to know a lot about love, Konata. Any more that I should know?"

"Don't give your opponent any time to mount a counterattack. Think fast and act fast. Remember to know your enemy and you will win a thousand battles."

"Whoa, you read the Art of War? Unbelievable…"

"Actually, I got it off from the forums. And I got my advice from tons of harem anime I've watched over my lifetime."

"And I thought you were changing for the better…"

---0---0---0---0---0---

Back in the grown-up talk,

"Why did you choose Kagami among the rest of the female population?" The father asked.

"I can't give a concise answer for that. All that I know is my heartbeat went crazy after taking a glimpse at her." Hajime defended his stand.

"Why can't you give a concise answer?"

"I…don't know. It's pretty strange that I'm the one in love with her, yet I can't answer these simple questions."

"Then what can you promise to Kagami? What will she expect from you?"

Once again, the boy was rendered speechless—unable to come up with a concise answer. He needed to come up with an answer otherwise he would lose two things: his most beloved and the trust of the family of his most beloved. He found his response most unfitting for a deep question.

"I…I will protect her…"

"Hmm…?"

"That's it…I will protect her…even if I'm the one to take the shot."

"How will you plan to do that?"

"If someone points a gun at her, I will take the bullet."

"…"

"If someone points a knife at her, I will absorb the stab."

"…"

"If someone hurts her physically, I will hurt that fool twice as much."

"…"

"If someone makes her cry, I will comfort her."

"…"

"All this I will do for her…until the very end."

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	16. Sword

_Chapter 32B: Sword_

**Author's Note: **Moderate use of offensive language. Viewer discretion is advised (especially to those with no toot guts).

Kagami was just several feet behind him when he made those proclamations. She and Konata had just finished talking to each other and were downstairs when they heard these words coming out of his mouth. Kagami blushed even more and Konata couldn't contain herself in getting overexcited about triggering a flag. This situation seemed to happen a lot between them. Nobody reacted for the first few seconds—a few seconds of void. The atmosphere got very awkward all of a sudden. Neither of them twitched nor moved during these first few seconds.

Dust triggered Konata's nose to twitch…and eventually let out a shocking sneeze.

"HAAAACHOOOOOOOO…!"

"Konata, at least face away from the living room!" Kagami scolded her. "That was beyond grandiose."

"Sorry…the rainy season's been very brutal."

At least, the deafening silence was shattered…something that shouldn't stay long. Hajime, on the other hand, didn't stay long. He quickly got up to his feet and hurried outside with a red face. His beloved followed afterwards. By the time she caught up with him, both of them were in front of an abandoned warehouse not far from her home. It was the middle of the night, stars shone bright, and the dilapidated warehouse was about to play its crucial yet inanimate role in Kagami's love story.

"W-Wait…!" She yelled at him.

Both stopped running.

"Why did you run away?" Kagami asked.

"Because I fail as a human being…" He muttered softly.

"What's that all about? I just came down to show Konata to the door when I came to check on you guys."

To sum it all up, she didn't hear him say those valiant words in front of her parents. Of course, he chose not to tell her about it unless she wants her to faint again.

"It's nothing. I'm not getting enough sleep recently." He explained.

"I was wondering what that was about." Kagami's cluelessness surfaced. "Anyway, dinner's going to be ready. Want to come over?"

"Thanks but I think I'll head home now."

"You sure…? You look like you haven't eaten a single bite since this morning."

"I've been reviewing for Tokyo University's entrance exams. It's going to take a lot of reviewing to get in there."

"I see. I thought you could join us in dinner and talk more about you."

"Maybe another time…I need to rest up to make up for all that energy lost in reviewing."

"Then…I'll be seeing you around then."

As soon as they parted ways, a black figure watched them go their separate ways home. But it only followed Kagami. With increasing cases of molestation across the national news, she was bound to be one. Too bad she had sharp eyes—she had taken notice of her stalker right before she and Hajime went their separate ways. Better yet, she recognized her stalker and decided to stop and talk for a while.

"Black doesn't suit you well." She said without turning her back.

"I got nothing better to wear anyway." Her mysterious stalker said in reply.

"So what are you here for?"

"If you love him, then you'll let go."

It caught Kagami's ears for a while as she thought of nothing to say back.

"What are you talking about?"

"If he doesn't fulfill his obligation, he'll be a disgrace to his family."

Kagami completely forgot about Hajime's obligation—something which was hard to counter.

---0---0---0---0---0---

Meanwhile, Hajime faced exactly the same situation. This time, the stalker was his ex-fugitive brother.

"You're going home?" Sano asked.

"Exams are ruthless." Hajime replied.

"We need to talk."

"About what…?"

"Your attitude back at Kagami's is unacceptable."

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't tell her the truth, asshole. You didn't answer her question. And she calls you a sincere person."

"Look, I'm tired. Just let me get home and we'll talk about this in—"

Before he could finish, Sano gave him a powerful knuckle sandwich. Takashi went flying towards the nearest wall just inches from him. One sucker punch is strong but adding impact on a concrete wall just adds the damage further.

"I was going to pay Kagami a visit when you popped out of the front door and ran away. I thought that there was something fishy going on." Sano said.

"It's not your concern." Hajime replied as he stood back up. "Move aside."

"It's my damn concern! You expect her to fall in love with someone who can't even spell 'truth' right? I gave up on her because I knew that she was in good hands. Then you're going to give me this bullshit?"

"I said it's none of your business."

"I said DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT! I've entrusted Kagami to you and this is the kind of half-assed crap you're going to show me? Are you just all talk and no do?"

"What do you know about love?! You don't even know how to love right! You're a fugitive!"

"I maybe a fugitive but at least I still have a heart and mind."

"Why should you care? This is a matter—"

Sano gave him another knuckle sandwich—twice the filling. The impact on the wall added the damage even further.

"I've always envied you because you had almost everything: looks, brains, and attitude. I knew any girl falling in love with you would have no regrets. But what is this crap you're giving me: lying in front of the one you love?"

"You don't know how it feels to fail in love! How can you even say such things?"

---0---0---0---0---0---

_"If someone points a gun at her, I will take the bullet." _

_"If someone points a knife at her, I will absorb the stab." _

_"If someone hurts her physically, I will hurt that fool twice as much."_

_"If someone makes her cry, I will comfort her."_

_"All this I will do for her…until the very end."_

---0---0---0---0---0---

"I acted like a complete idiot in front of Kagami's parents. How are they supposed to trust me now that I've let go of my false convictions? I can't even properly save a damsel in distress."

"Why did you give false convictions then?"

"It's because I don't want to lose her. I've come too far to turn back."

"There's no turning back in love, dumbass! Once you leave her, the damage is done for good!"

"I can't lose her. I don't want to lose her. I am not going to lose another girl in my life!"

"Then show me! Show to me that I'm absolutely wrong! Show to Kagami how willing you are to go the distance."

---0---0---0---0---0---

Meanwhile, Kagami and her stalker are still at it.

"I know it's hard but the truth must be accepted in order to move on." The stalker Yakumo said.

"What is he to you anyway, some kind of tool to make both of your families filthy rich?" Kagami still put up stubborn resistance.

"He's more than a mere tool! He's what makes me go on living."

"What, did he became your heart and your mind?"

"Don't change the subject."

"You're the one changing it."

The argument came to a complete stop. Then it resumed shortly.

"You don't want him living the rest of his life as a complete disgrace, do you?" Yakumo started; and Kagami only listened without talking back. "So what's it going to be: a lifetime of shame…or a minute of bidding farewell to him?"

Kagami had to give it some good thinking, although she didn't want to think about it because the truth often hurts. A "yes" answer would save him from total embarrassment and excommunication in exchange for the loss of her beloved. Otherwise the lovey-dovey couple will remain as is with the extreme case of disobedience and shame on their backs. Along with the pressure of thinking was fear—fear of loss. She feared the loss of Hajime more than anything else (with the exception of family and friends).

This time, nobody can help her now but herself.

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	17. Breakaway

_Chapter 33: Breakaway_

**Author's Note: **3rd to the last chapter woooooot—!

The following day was like any other day. It rained so hard, some schools within the urbanities had to suspend classes because only a handful of students in every classroom made it to the campus. Ryouou Gakuen wasn't about to follow up. The drainage system wired under the campus flushed the excess water down towards the open sea. The usual dark clouds drifted across the sky bringing forth torrential rains; the drainage system keeps the water level down. Nothing was spared from being drenched in rainwater: buildings, plants, umbrellas, galoshes, vehicles etc.

As she looked outside the classroom window, the rainy scenery reminded Kagami of her first meeting with Hajime. She gazed at the dark clouds—the same dark clouds that gave her nothing but trouble. Even breaks in the weather weren't satisfying enough to wash her troubles away. They kept on coming in a long queue one after another. Hajime, on the other hand, had two major problems equivalent to twice as much as Kagami's: Yakumo and his obligation. He too looked out the window and watched the rain fall down like blank bombs being tossed all over the city.

They were forbidden to see each other ever again. Their hearts were farther apart than when they were a love team.

---0---0---0---0---0---

_Hajime ran as fast as he can towards where Kagami went. By the time he had reached her, both were in front of the abandoned warehouse again. They looked at each other's eyes with both anticipation and sorrow. They also held the impression that they were both scolded by outside forces. He gulped first before building up his courage and facing the spotlight. _

_"Kagami-san, I have something to say to you!" He yelled, gasping. _

_"What a coincidence…I too have something to say as well." Kagami said in reply. _

_"I'm sorry. I lied to you! I promised to your parents that I would protect you from harm's way. Please forgive me."_

_"Well…it's not like we're going to see each other from now on."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_The last reply wielded the most __effect__. "I'm breaking up with you, Hajime-kun."_

_Having heard that, he cleaned his ears with his index finger. Most probably it could've been dirt in his ears. _

_"I didn't quite get that." He replied, smiling. _

_"Don't play dumb anymore.__ We're through." _

_"Look, I know I screwed up in front of your parents but at least let me explain."_

_"This is not about whatever you said to them a while ago. This is all about you now."_

_Everything seemed too elusive for his brilliant mind to catch up. He had to hear her explanation. Alas, it was a dreadful one. _

_"You do know how our ancestors face embarrassment during the olden days, don't you?" Kagami asked. _

_"I guess…" He truthfully replied. _

_"If I were you, I'd prioritize family first before doing anything stupid."_

_"This is about my obligation, am I correct?"_

_"Stop thinking about me and live your life as is. I expected from the start that I'm no good for a wealthy person such as you."_

_"Kagami-san, that's not true. I'm going to talk to Yakumo and settle things over—"_

_He stopped because she looked at him with tearing eyes. She wanted to slap his cheek to snap him out of confusion but her heart prevents her from doing so. _

_"Don't make me slap you again!" Kagami cried. "__Don't make this hard on yourself. I can live without you."_

_"Kagami-san, I can make things right again. Just give me a chance."_

_"Things are right the way they are! Make your family proud."_

_Hajime said no more. Kagami ran the remaining yards crying out loud. _

---0---0---0---0---0---

The rainclouds drifting across the sky became even darker than before—like a solar eclipse. Misao and Ayano had yet to realize her mood for today as they approached her. As usual, Misao greeted her with her very unique intonation.

"Hey Hiiragi…" But Kagami made no such reply. Now it was fairly obvious.

"Hmm…the monster's awfully quiet today." Misao added.

"M-Misa-chan, I think we should let her be alone for a while." Ayano firmly suggested.

"Nonsense, I haven't got the chance to tease her like this in my entire life."

"M-Misa-chan, I-I think she's angry."

"Huh, can you tell?"

"No but for some reason I'm getting this eerie feeling just by being near her."

"Whenever we're always near her we get an eerie feeling. It's absolutely normal."

A breakdown of emotions plus insults first thing in the morning…the mixture made her really pissed off. Banging her fist on her desk, she stood up and faced them with the angriest face she could ever make in her lifetime.

"Leave me alone, damn it!"

"What's your problem? You're acting rude!" Misao replied loudly.

"Just leave me alone! You don't know anything what's really going on!" Kagami kept shouting.

"Hiiragi-chan, I'm sure we can work out a solution." Ayano said calmly. "Calm down."

"I don't need solutions! I want results!" Kagami said.

After a while, they decided to give her some elbow room. With all that anger and frustration burning inside her, it would take more than an open classroom to accommodate the fiery sensation.

As the days pass, she was deteriorating emotionally at a quick rate. To her, the words she let go were very hard on her but it was for his sake. Ever since that faithful night, Hiiragi Kagami is dead.

_TO BE CONTINUED_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With love comes looming danger of losing it. In the end, everything from square one is nothing more but a mere nightmare.

The final overture…the edge of the frontline…

**Kagami in the Rain 3: Sanctuary**

April 8, 2008


	18. Guidance

_Chapter 34: Guidance_

**Author's Note:**This is going to be hellishly long—the longest of all the chapters of the trilogy but one of the best chapters I've made during my two years in the fan fiction business. Hope you got enough toot guts to read 3,000 words. I promise that the third book will be very shorter compared to the previous ones. (Viewer discretion advised especially for those with no toot guts)

_"I'll never leave you, Chiharu."_

_"I know you won't. I love you, Mitsui." _

_"Promise we'll be together forever."_

_"I promise."_

These were some of the lines that echoed from the speakers of the TV before cutting into commercial break. Usually, Kagami would start crying because of scenes such as this. Unfortunately, her heart had been petrified by time—she couldn't feel any emotions anymore. She wasn't jerking a single tear unlike her sisters who were crying a river from the beginning of the mushy scene. She stared at the TV screen particularly at the commercials of soda pops and insurance plans. Her heart was so petrified; she didn't even twitch when a soda can accidentally hit her on the head. Regardless of Tsukasa's sorry; Kagami stared at the screen like nothing happened.

"I'm sleeping early tonight." Kagami said, standing up and leaving the room. They could tell it wasn't the hit in the head that caused it.

As soon as she entered her room, the sound of her mobile phone ringing echoed in the air. The last thing she wanted right now is distraction. So grabbing her mobile phone from her desk, she looked at the caller first; all the more she shut the ringing off and went to bed without hesitation. Immediately, she closed her eyes and ignored the outside world. It was only eight in the evening.

Shortly, she opened her eyes because of insomnia—only to discover that she wasn't in her room, her house, or the town of Washimiya anymore. She looked around—nothing but white and a thin sheet of mist surrounding her position. Incidentally, she realized that this was the same whiteness and the same thin sheet of mist back in the amusement park. Wanting to find answers, Kagami began journeying through the mists in search of one, regardless of having no idea which way to go.

It wasn't long before she saw dry land on the edge of the horizon which was not really far from her. After stepping on loamy soil, the sight of the ruins of a city welcomed her. The high-rise buildings once towered over many others were now toppled down like dominoes. Glass fragments were all over the asphalt roads which now were scathed with fissures and cracks. Much of the infrastructure was covered in moss and even the power lines were dead—no spark whatsoever. Kagami had a good idea of the ruined city: the city of Kasukabe, the place where she and her friends meet at school; the place where they hang out and buy novelty stuff; the place where they feel at ease the most far away from home; and now the place that looked like it suffered a nuclear attack.

"De ja vu…" Kagami said. "It's like I've lived this before."

Suddenly, the sound of running grew closer and closer until Kagami was hit behind and rolled down the side of the hill towards the fissured asphalt road near the bus station. The dirty ground and repetitive implant of the face in the ground was bound to leave some marks on her. Kagami stood back up and saw what had impacted behind her; it was her friend Eri.

"Huh? Aren't you…"

"S-Senpai, my apologies…I was being chased by someone or something a while ago. It seems it has gone away though."

"How did you end up here? More importantly, how did WE end up here?"

"I was sleeping in my room. When I woke up to get a glass of water, I'm already here."

"Same as me…"

"I doubt we'll find a way out of this."

"We won't know until we try; now let's go."

Indeed, it was the same desolate scenery from which questions were raised. It was the same desolate ruins of the city of Kasukabe in the province of Saitama. It was the same ruined buildings with some leaning acutely towards the ground yet never falls. Why was she brought here again? Is it concerning her actions towards Hajime? That would be the obvious and typical case. What was the significant role of these ruins in her love life? This is one dream she can't wake up from unless she finds the answer within that dream. But first, she had to ask herself something—a question which puzzled her from the ground up.

Kagami and Eri walked from road to road, building after building, in search of…in search of…just what exactly are they searching for?

"Senpai, what are we looking for?" Eri can't help but ask.

"Something which will get the both of us out of this nightmare…" Kagami sincerely answered.

"What will get the both of us out of this nightmare? It's not like there's a dream machine around here somewhere."

The sound of clattering stopped. Kagami stood in front of a pile of rubble; her hands and arms covered with a layer of grime.

"Who am I kidding?" She muttered. "I'm just a 'nobody.'"

"S-Senpai…?"

"Just look at me. I've never been this miserable before HE came to my life. I've never fought a losing battle before HE came to my life."

"What's the matter?"

"I thought…that I had already met someone…someone who understands me…someone who really cares for me…someone who loves me for the way I am. This sense of despair…this loneliness is breaking me apart."

Her tears mixed with the grime on top of the pile of rubble. Sniffing and sobbing, she let everything go: friends, family, not to mention her admirer. Kagami was in a state of pain—not physical pain but emotional. She was so in pain, she wished that a dagger was nearby for her to split her innards with. It seemed that to her seppuku was the only option left.

It was then her companion hugged her tightly despite height complexities. From that point on, Kagami felt warmth; but not just any ordinary warmth. It was a warm sensation that helped her let go of all things negative.

"Whatever you're planning…stop it." Eri said, hugging Kagami even tighter. "Maybe I don't have any idea what's going on. But I don't like to see someone cry. So please…"

"E-Eri-chan…"

"I can sympathize with your pain. I also felt this kind of sorrow a long time ago."

---0---0---0---0---0---

It was nightfall and the cold wind picked up. The only place keeping them warm was an almost-intact monorail car inside the train station. They found some pieces of paper and unused matches along the way—ingredients for a campfire. They started a fire inside the cab while using the small hole on top of the monorail car as a chimney. As they fed more paper into it, the fire grew large enough to give off heat. They had to make the best out of everything around them at least to survive. From that point on, Eri shared her piece of the burden.

"I can still remember it—it was a few years ago. My family had close relations with another. They even planned out an arranged marriage for me and the boy next door to celebrate."

Kagami was listening.

"He was the most handsome boy I've ever seen in my entire life. Although at first we didn't quite get along until that moment when he took me out to a date at Tokyo Tower."

"Tokyo Tower, you say?"

"Yeah, he took me there and proposed right in front of the scenic view of the metropolis. Ever since that day I couldn't contain myself thinking about him anytime anywhere. I didn't answer him right away because we were still young and we had plenty of time in our hands."

"Then what happened?"

Eri stayed silent for a while, looking at the burning fire swaying. She tossed a piece of paper crumpled to a strip to the fire and continued with her story.

"I didn't expect that our relationship will last short. Something catastrophic happened between the two families which eventually led to our separation. Even I don't know what caused such a disturbance. Everything was gone: the trust of my family, the trust of the other, and especially the one I love. Things could've gone differently if it wasn't for that disaster."

All the more Kagami listened.

"Amidst the terrifying circumstances, we still met up in secret usually in front of an abandoned warehouse within the suburbs; sometimes inside of it. We didn't care if we would be reprimanded for this as long as we share the same love to each other."

Once more, Eri fed more pieces of paper and even wood shavings lying around the floor to the fire. It burned brighter and it provided more heat energy. She carried on with her story.

"We did this in secrecy for several months before a piece of grave news came. I received news that I was to be engaged to another man from a different family. I strictly refused but I wasn't in the position to say such a thing. If I don't get engaged with that person, I'll spell doom to the business the sweat and hard work of my parents made. Until now, I still feel restless about it as it continues to haunt me and my life."

At this point, she tucked herself in with the bench behind her and tears ran down the side of her face to the floor. The fire in front of her was still burning brightly and giving off heat in the middle of the bitter cold.

"I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to end my life as soon as possible. I'm not just a brokenhearted girl; I'm also a pathetic excuse for a daughter—going against my parents' will."

This time, it was Eri who was now crying—suffering from the shackles of cruel fate and the destiny behind the shadows.

"I'm sorry if I can't give you any proper advice." Kagami spoke. "I'm just as confused as you are."

"It's okay; I'm used to this kind of pain. I just hope that it goes away for good."

"In truth, I too was also in love. He loved me just as much as I loved him. Then…we had to go our separate ways. I knew from the start that a high school girl like me doesn't deserve the son of a successful man."

"Then why did you keep on trying so hard if you knew that?"

"It's because…"

Why did she?

Knowing from the start that the odds were against her, she kept on trying making a good impression on him—but for what reason? She could give neither a straightforward nor dull answer to Eri's query. Worse, they had to cut their bonding time short because of a frightening racket outside the ruined train station; sounded like rattling chains and clattering pots and pans. That's when Kagami remembered something.

"Didn't you say that you were being chased a while ago?"

"Um…yeah, I think so."

"Did it sound like that?"

"Somehow, it did."

"Put the fire out and hide where it can't see you."

With the use of a fabric sheet lying around the floor, they covered up the fire and cut off its air supply. The fire died down and so did the heat, leaving them cold again. There was a huge crate at the near end of the monorail car; big enough for two people to fit in. They used the wooden crate to their advantage as the rattling and clattering sound approached their location. Both girls were quiet—made no unnecessary movements or reactions. Their only means of surveillance was through a small hole punched in front of them. The clattering and the rattling were now mixed with the moaning so agonizing; they were shaking from head to toe.

Then, the monorail car started rocking violently. The crate moved from one side to the opposite side as the rocking was caused by a tremendous push from the outside. They did their best not to scream otherwise they would give away their whereabouts and who knows what the moaning creature will do to them. It was a nightmare way out of control—the dreamers' control.

---0---0---0---0---0---

A few minutes later, the moaning went away so did the rattling and the clattering. The monorail car was almost toppled as it stayed upright. It was now safe to get out of the cramped space and out into the open along with a sigh of relief.

"That was close." Kagami remarked. "For a second there I thought we're done for."

With the threat gone, Eri asked her the same question one more time. All Kagami could do was stare at her eyes. Through her eyes she saw depression, desperation, and more importantly: suffering—the same things Kagami had before the separation of ways. Somehow, the question was very crucial to her as if the question was her embodiment of life.

Then, Eri added more queries as her desperation for an answer grew. "Why do you still have feelings for that person amidst the low probability? Why are you willing to go the extra mile just to be with him?"

The last question gave her the key in unlocking the answer she was looking for: "What have you been fighting for all this time?"

She had no idea what she was fighting for even if it means Hajime's undying devotion to her and vice versa. The true nature of this kind of love begins to surface gradually. It was at this point of time Kagami searched for an epiphany—a sudden realization of truth. But what was the truth to her? Is it the truth that she had lost the war that created this desolate landscape? Is it the truth that Hajime was the one to blame for her misery? Is it the truth that she could never coincide with a kind and rich man? Thoughts raced in her head as she began visualizing random scenes about him and her when they were still together.

_"My heart still beats rapidly. I still think about him. I still care for him. I still…love him. But why…why do I still feel these things when my heart should be broken to pieces? Even if I thought it was a misunderstanding in the first place, I grew close to him. Even if he said that he was engaged to someone already, my feelings for him remained unchanged. How is this even possible?"_

"You really didn't dump him, did you?" Eri asked. "You still love him; tell the truth."

"Actually, I…" Kagami was panicking. "I…uh…no, I…what I'm trying to say…"

"Don't make this hard on yourself. In truth, you were never alone."

In a mystical manner, the desolate landscape quickly transformed, after a flash of light, to a world seen in fairy tales. Beneath their feet was a vast field of different varieties of flowers. Above them was the azure sky—the ocean above the surface of the earth that never falls down. A light breeze flowed down their hair and swayed at their backs. Beyond the horizon were fields of flowers—the Garden of Eden right in front of her eyes.

"W-W-What's going on?" She asked Eri, which she had just realized that she wasn't beside her anymore. "Eri-chan…? Where are you?"

She was all alone on the flowery garden with the breeze to keep her cool and fresh air to keep her calm. Obviously this was much better than some desolate landscape and a moaning creature with rattling and clattering wherever it went. Across the azure sky were flocks of birds soaring as high as the white clouds. While she was busy admiring the great scenery, somebody called her from behind…and it wasn't the flowers but something much better.

"Kagami-san…"

She turned around and caught sight of a boy around her age standing right before her. He was at least three feet away. Another breeze picked up, carrying loose petals in mid-air. The countless petals flying in mid-air formed a shower—a shower of petals around them. This was a scene unlike any other.

"Ha-Hajime…kun…"

"The flowers…aren't they beautiful? Maybe I should pick a variety here and name it after you."

Kagami's face went red just like before. "Y-You idiot, flattery won't get you anywhere."

"On the contrary, I'm merely stating the truth. After all, faith is being true and truth is being faithful."

"I told you to not go looking for me again. We're through, remember?"

"Are you intimidated about Yakumo, then?"

"This is only concerning you and you alone. What will happen to you if you become an embarrassment to the entire clan?"

"Then so be it…"

"Do you realize what you're saying to me right now—"

Unexpectedly, Hajime grabbed Kagami by the waist and drew her closer to him. With his overflowing emotions and passions, his lips touched hers—a kiss. The breeze blew even stronger than before, sending more petals in a shower. Eventually, she gave in and closed her eyes during kissing. This has never been done…until now. Afterwards, he let go and both of them were a foot closer.

"This is my resolve, Kagami-san." Hajime said. "What about yours?"

She could neither act nor speak. She felt her heart beat like a piston in a car's engine. Now she knew how it felt to be kissed by a man.

"I…just don't want you to get hurt because of me." Kagami said in reply, crying. "Yet I always have loved you despite the misunderstanding the first time we met."

"Kagami-san…"

Then her emotions began stirring up. "You idiot…! Why did you have to bring her here? We were having a wonderful life until she showed up!" A frustrated and hurt Kagami emerged.

He too answered in the same frustrated way. "Who are you to call me an idiot? You said before I left that I should take the opportunity!"

A terrifying blunder…

"What's the matter with you? You're not the Hiiragi Kagami I knew in the past! You're some impostor trying to ruin what Kagami-san and I worked hard for!"

She felt guilty of herself for shouting at him like that. She became irrational yet baffled.

"I'm sorry…" Then she cried again, this time much worse than before.

He slowly approached and hugged her as he rubbed her back. "Here, cry by my shoulders. Let it all out—your pain and sadness. It's going to be alright. I should be the one apologizing."

She cried like never before in her entire life—much more compared to her other sisters crying because of a mushy scene on national television. This was in a dream—a land excluded from the world of reality. The kiss, the outflow of intense emotions, and the hug were part of it yet it felt like it wasn't fantasy at work anymore. This dream was made possible by a sentimental bond of boy and girl.

"Can I ask you another favor?" Kagami asked.

"Anything…as long as it's not evil." Hajime answered.

"Can you…uh…k-kiss me again?"

He smiled and nodded his head. When their lips practically touched each other, it was back to the real world in another flash of light.

---0---0---0---0---0---

"Tsukasa, help me!" Konata shouted. "Kagamin's got me in a headlock!"

"K-Kona-chan…!"

_TO BE CONCLUDED_

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The first was love and disaster. The second was love and the supernatural.

The final will be love…and death.

**Kagami in the Rain 3: Sanctuary**

Pouring down this April 8, 2008


	19. Rain

_Chapter 35: Rain_

_---Finale---_

**Author's Note:**Even at the final chapter of book 2, episode 8 does not end here. This is the longest episode in the trilogy. In fact, this finale is only the beginning of the real battle (evil laugh). 

"Tsukasa, help me!" Konata yelled. "Kagamin's got me in a headlock!"

"K-Kona-chan...!" The supposedly younger sister couldn't do anything. 

"C-Can't b-breathe…must…get…out…"

Eventually, Kagami opened her two phoenix eyes. She was welcomed by the closeness of Konata's face not to mention her odd-shaped lips as her arms were around her neck. 

"Kagamin, if you want to do it all you have to do is say 'please'."

Immediately she let go of her and rose up from her bed. She didn't immediately inquire what Konata was doing in her house; specifically in her room. For her, she had felt that warm sensation and the sweetness of the kiss in the Elysian Fields. In fact, she had experienced both twice—a staggering feat. Eventually the girls settled in and Kagami returned from wandering…realizing that it was already 8:30 in the morning. 

"Shoot, I'm late for school!" 

"Kagamin, it's a Sunday." Konata reminded her. 

"Oh…I, uh, didn't know…" 

"Are you feeling okay? You got me in a headlock while you were sound asleep."

"It just goes to show that you were planning something near my face, weren't you?"

---0---0---0---0---0---

The next day, the same dark clouds and the same heavy rainfall welcomed Kagami upon waking up for school. Unlike yesterday, the dream didn't haunt her. Because of which, she was able to sleep soundly throughout the night. Amidst the rain, she never felt refreshed before. A new persona emerged—the result of this feeling. 

"You're awfully cheerful today." Matsuri commented during breakfast. 

"Why can't I?" Kagami said. 

"No need to get pressured." 

The train was unusually short of people. By this time, rush hour would be kicking in—thousands of commuters per train ride. She wondered if work was suspended because of rain; she forgot to watch the news this morning. Her assumption was marked wrong when she saw Konata in her school uniform just outside Kasukabe West Station. The usual greeting, chit-chat, and off they went…

Therefore, today was like any other day—ordinary and pathetically boring. With the rain pouring down like a bath shower, one can expect sunshine activities to be pathetically cancelled. It wasn't raining back then but for some reason the torrential rains reminded Kagami of her first meeting with Hajime. The rain also reminded her of her near-death experience—being soaked in the rain plus a thousand volts of electricity surging like blood. A lot had happened since that fateful day, yet, troubles about their love were still hounding her from behind like dogs ready to pounce. However she has gone too far to even order a retreat. 

Kagami's first on her agenda: apologize to Ayano and Misao. 

"Kusakabe…about the other day…I'm sorry if I became too irritated." She disliked (but not hated) apologizing because it was embarrassing so she strives hard to avoid doing bad things. 

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Misao gave her a curious face. 

"Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"I yelled…never mind."

Kagami went to her seat, waiting for her first period teacher. 

"Good work, Misa-chan…" Ayano whispered. 

"I usually don't forget grudges. But I guess I can cut some slack." Misao said. 

Second on her agenda: settle things with Yakumo. But she was a no-show in the classroom especially when there was only a few minutes remaining before the first period starts. Of all the 365 days of the entire year, she chose this one to be a no-show at—the day when she could speak her mind properly. Finally, their first period teacher entered the room. Along with him was a piece of news—probably the worst news anyone could hear. 

"I was just talking to Kuroi-sensei a while ago. It seems that Yamamoto-san was hit by incoming traffic. She was dead on arrival." 

The words alone were a shocker. 

All of a sudden, Kagami woke up from her bed frantically shocked. "No!"

---0---0---0---0---0---

Another dream…it was another hellish nightmare. She woke up from the sweet kiss felt by her lips, went to school, heard the demise of her rival, and woke up again from sleep—it was a dream within a dream: a duality. She was practically gasping every second. She slapped herself and felt the stinging pain—it was not another dream. 

"A dream within a dream…" Kagami said, still shocked. "What's happening to me? I'm a mess!"

Dressing up, she immediately went downstairs to the living room where she spent the entire Sunday morning watching a rerun special of the Apron of Love and cleaning her room. Bothered by a series of supernatural occurrences, she couldn't help but ask why those things were happening? A simple "because of Hajime" answer won't even cover a tiny fraction of the detailed explanation. As she was rearranging her closet, she found a pair of dusty ribbons. They were dusty but not old; they were the same ribbons she received last Christmas from him. The fact that it accumulated dust inside her closet only meant that she hasn't used the ribbons since she received them. Also, the fact that it came from Hajime meant the ribbons were somewhat costly. It would be a waste if she didn't use them right now. 

Taking off her old ribbons, Kagami replaced them with the new ones after dusting them. Looking in front of the mirror, it was a perfect match. It complemented with her purple hair. 

A tidy room later, her mother called from downstairs. Another errand was assigned to her: to buy the necessary ingredients for curry. Buying groceries wasn't a problem for her despite her weakness in the household category. Wearing her new ribbons in her hair, she went out alone in the rain. Under her umbrella she treaded the wet pavement. 

"Suddenly it feels somewhat boring today." Kagami remarked, picking out the needed ingredients and ignoring the rejects. 

The feeling of the lack of life resided. The wet weather only made it worse.

---0---0---0---0---0---

"Hello?" Kagami, recently returned from the errand, answered her cell phone up in her room. 

"Kagami-san…" It was Hajime. She could tell. 

"Hajime-kun…what made you call?"

"By any chance, did you dream about a flowery garden?"

A mere coincidence perhaps…? 

"Um…I think so." Kagami answered. "Why you ask?"

"I had a dream last night…you and I were there…standing on the flowery fields." He continued explaining details.

"And then…?"

"I…I…"

"You kissed me right? Twice even…"

She blushed. He was silent. Nothing more could be said. 

"Is that how much you love me?" Kagami asked. "Do you care for me that much?"

"Even if I have to disobey orders…" Hajime added. 

"I haven't come up with a decision yet. There were too many interruptions."

"Then can I hear an answer from you now?"

"Not yet…I still need more time. I'm sorry."

"I understand…considering the suffering you had to put through just to get this far."

"Hajime-kun…"

"What is it?"

"Is this really okay with you?"

"What's okay?"

"About your obligation…about Yakumo…about the true nature behind you and me…"

"Hmm…?"

"In truth, I really like you. I really do. But it's just…our love is forbidden to most people."

Hajime paused for a second but he already came up with an answer. He just decided not to tell her because now wasn't the good time to answer it. 

"Kagami-san…I will protect you. Even if it means death…"

"Hajime-kun…"

"If someone points a gun at you, I'll take the bullet."

"…"

"If someone points a knife at you, I'll absorb the stab."

"…"

"If someone hurts you physically, I will hurt that fool twice as much."

"…"

"If someone makes you cry, cry by my shoulders."

"…"

"Even at the very end of our lives, I will continue to do this…because I always know where you are: in my heart."

Kagami was exceptionally moved. Tears flooded her eyes—not of sorrow but of joy. She definitely had no regrets meeting him—her shield and sword, her knight in shining armor. The place where she feels at ease the most was within his arms. Amidst the gloomy weather, she was able to smile perfectly—a flawless smile only achieved through true happiness. 

A full year has passed; still the season of precipitation looms across the skies. Stormy winds blow dangling streamers and plants drenched in water. It felt like a decade or two has passed. After waiting for a long time, Romeo returned to the land of the rising sun…only to see a desolate landscape brought about by rivalry and war between the first Juliet and the new Juliet. Surely, it feels different again when it's…Kagami in the rain. 

_THE END_

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Downtown Kasukabe…the place where the night is life, pachinko balls are money, and…

Yuri is business. 

For only 750 yen an hour, get exclusive access to good food, refreshing drinks, great times, and most of all: the weird, the wack, and the what-the-heck-was-that situations on yurism; starring doujin princess Hiyori Tamura

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to…

**Hiyori Tamura's Yuri Theater**

Opening in mid-2008 (this is for sure).


	20. Trailer

_For the purposes of the trailer, it will be written in script form. I hope you understand._

_The battle continues in the frontline named Hajime Takashi. The war rages on…and eventually more and more people are getting involved. _

**Yakumo: **It's obvious. I'm more ideal for her because I spent my past days studying in a prestigious school in America.

**Kagami: **Listen you; don't get all too high and mighty just because you're smarter than me!

**Yakumo: **Huh…? Who's acting high and mighty? I'm just doing what I believe is right. Are you jealous?

**Kagami: **You're pulling my strings. Don't make me hurt you.

**Yakumo: **I only asked a question. Besides, I'm the one who came from a rich family so providing his needs won't be a problem.

**Kagami: **That's obviously an insult! Tsukasa let me go!

**Yakumo: **It's all clear to me now. He still has no taste for girls. Worse, he picked this irrational, thin-skinned, below average, and naïve hunk of junk.

**Tsukasa: **I WON'T LET YOU TALK LIKE THAT TO MY SISTER THAT WAY!

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Konata: **…and then Tsukasa just went ballistic all of a sudden.

**Yutaka: **S-Scary…

_Amidst the battle, a small flicker of hope still remains waiting for it to become a huge fire. _

**Takashi: **This is my resolve, Kagami-san. What about yours?

**Kagami: **I…just don't want you to get hurt because of me.

**Takashi: **Here, cry by my shoulders. Let it all out—your pain and sadness. It's going to be alright. I should be the one apologizing.

**Kagami: **Can you…uh…k-kiss me again?

**Takashi:**Anything…as long as it's not evil.

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Takashi: **If someone points a gun at you, I'll take the bullet. If someone points a knife at you, I'll absorb the stab. If someone hurts you physically, I will hurt that fool twice as much. If someone makes you cry, cry by my shoulders.

**Kagami: **Hajime-kun…

**Takashi: **Even at the very end of our lives, I will continue to do this…because I always know where you are: in my heart.

_This April, two different outside personalities will move in…who may make or break Kagami and Hajime's resolves. _

**Saito: **What difference will it make? She obviously has abandoned you.

**Takashi: **That's not true! I promised Kagami that I will protect her! 

**Saito: **Seriously, you're as stubborn as my friend Louise. 

**Takashi: **"Stubborn" is my middle name.

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Kagami: **No…please stop…

**Chikane: **I won't stop. I can't stop. All I can do is expose the truth to you. 

**Kagami: **It doesn't have to be this way. I love him! That's the truth!

**Chikane: **Not enough of an answer…

**Kagami:**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Takashi:**Kagami-san…Eri's dead…before we even met. 

_Friendships will be tested even more. Some may be even forced to dissolve. _

**Kagami: **Let's just forget each other. 

**Miyuki: **Kagami-san…

**Konata: **Hey, we can't do that. We're friends—

**Kagami: **I'm sorry Konata. But from this point on…it's my fight and my fight alone.

**Tsukasa: **Onee-chan…

**Miyuki: **I'm sure we can work out a solution. Don't do this to us.

**Kagami: **I'm the reason for this. I'm a walking bad omen. I'm ready to settle this alone. 

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Yakumo: **You have no choice, Hajime-kun. You can come back into my arms or I'll continue to do something worse to her. 

**Takashi: **Damn it. Promise me you won't do any more harm to her. 

**Yakumo: **As long as you come back to me, there won't be any problems. 

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Chikane: **Why are you striving so hard? Can't you see he has already given up on you?

**Kagami: **Hajime-kun accepted me for who I am. He's the only one who understands me. He's the only one who cares for me. Thanks to him I won't be alone anymore.

**Chikane: **Were you ever alone from the beginning?

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Saito: **Fight me then. A kendo battle one-on-one…

**Takashi: **W-Wait a minute—

**Saito: **Show me how determined you are in protecting her until the end. Pick up that bamboo sword and fight me. 

_Blood will spill._

**Kagami: **TSUKASA!

**Tsukasa: **I'm sorry, onee-chan…

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Saito: **Stand up! Don't tell me you're done.

**Takashi: **No…I'm not yet done. 

**Saito: **If you can't force yourself to even stand up, then you don't deserve to protect her. 

**Takashi: **I will protect her. You can count on it.

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Konata: **Dad, Yu-chan's fever is freakishly high!

**Yutaka:**M-M-Minami-chan…

**Konata: **Hang in there, Yu-chan!

(Sound of flat line)

_Egos will be devastated_

**Hiyori: **Shoot! I can't think of anything!

**Patty: **I've never seen you so angry. Is something the matter?

**Hiyori: **It's that damn doujin artist. HE copied my works and claimed it as his own!

_Truths shall be uncovered—truths that will shatter love into tiny fragments. _

**Kagami:**Eri-chan…you're…

**Eri: **I'm sorry, senpai…I couldn't tell you because I thought you won't believe me.

**Kagami: **Stay away from me, you traitor. 

**Eri: **Senpai…

**Kagami: **I said stay away!

_But in the end, all will seek sanctuary…which they will all have. _

**Miki: **Don't worry, Kagami. We're here for you. Just let it all out.

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Sano: **Want a stick?

**Takashi: **No thanks. I don't smoke. 

**Sano: **If you're going to be a man, then you should. 

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Chikane: **This necklace was given to me by an old friend of mine. It'll bring you good fortune. 

**Kagami: **I appreciate the gift. 

**Chikane: **Don't give up on what you desire. 

---0---0---0---0---0---

**Saito: **I know a lot about love. I've been experiencing it since my first encounter with Louise. 

**Takashi: **What is love, then?

**Saito: **All I can tell about its definition is a mysterious feeling. 

---0---0---0---0---0----

_This April, the powerhouse cast just got more powerful. _

**Lucky Star Powerhouse Cast: **Izumi Konata, Hiiragi Kagami, Hiiragi Tsukasa, Miyuki Takara, Yutaka Kobayakawa, Minami Iwasaki, Hiyori Tamura, Patricia Martin, and Minoru Shiraishi

**Non-Series Cast:**Hajime Takashi, Yamamoto Yakumo, Eri Hidaka, and Hajime Sano

**Guest Starring:**Hiraga Saito (Zero no Tsukaima) and Himemiya Chikane (Kannazuki no Miko)

_And so life goes on. Time moves on. Love is an enigmatic feeling brought about by an interest in one another. Its definition cannot be fully grasped intellectually but it can be experienced emotionally. Once the damage is done, it cannot be undone. It is there to stay for eternity. _

_After months of triumph and suffering, the Day of Judgment has come. There can only be one true among the two. With the final decision of the inescapable destiny the first and last Juliet has entered, the frontlines will disappear; the crossfire will vanish, and the battle will grind to a complete halt. Only one can seek…_

**Kagami in the Rain 3: Sanctuary**

**The Final Overture begins April 8, 2008 in recognition of Lucky Star's First Anniversary**

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**Author's Note: **I know. I'm pumped up ain't I? Disclaiming still in effect…


End file.
